History Department News Index

2008-2009

HISTORY CLUB GRADUATE SCHOOL INFORMATION PANEL

Interested in graduate school?  The History Department and the History Club are co- sponsoring a Graduate School Information Panel on Wednesday, October 14 at 4:00 pm in Boyer 234. Come and here from history faculty and department alums about their experiences in graduate school.  Alums Janet (Kraft) Vogel and Justin Bollinger will be participating on the panel. Janet has masters degrees in both public history and library science and Justin is currently a student at Dickinson Law.

We hope to talk about graduate programs in the following fields: History, Public History, Law, Library Science, Journalism, and Public Affairs.  Possible questions for discussion include:


How do I decide if graduate school is right for me?
How should I prepare in college for graduate school?
When should I go to graduate school?
What should I look for in a graduate program?
How should I go about applying for graduate school?
What are some of the financial considerations of graduate school?
Are there alternatives to Ph.D. programs?
What is the life of a graduate student like?
How long do various graduate programs take to complete?
What are prospects for life after graduate school?

Whether you are a first year student or a senior, you can benefit from this meeting.  We hope to see you there!

 

2009 SPRING HUMANITIES SYMPOSIUM

The annual Messiah College Humanities Symposium will be held from Feb. 23-27, 2009 in Boyer Hall.  This year's theme is "Faith in the Public Square."   Alan Wolfe, Director of the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life and Professor of Political Science at Boston College will be the keynote speaker.  His address is entitled, "Who is Afraid of American Religion." 

The History Department will sponsor a session on Thursday, February 26 at 4:00pm entitled "Seek the Welfare of the City: Historical Perspectives on Faith in the Public Square."  Dr. Huffman, Dr. LaGrand, and Dr. Pettegrew will present papers.  Here is a description of the session:

In the course of  human  history, the city has been a constant symbol, medium, and text of culture and civilization.  As a human phenomenon, the city has sometimes been problematic for the Christian life, in its entanglements with the world and the secular age.  On the other hand, it has also constituted a ripe field for the spread of the Gospel and a thriving "public square" for Christian discourse.  Faculty from the department of history offer case studies on Christians' responses, engagements, and transformations of their urban landscapes during three periods:  the Late Roman Empire (David Pettegrew, "The Christianization of the City"); Medieval Europe (Joseph Huffman, "The Medieval Public Square: An Urban Intersection of Faith, Society, and Political Economy"); and late 19th century America (James LaGrand, "Searching for Connection and Solidarity in the Industrial City"). Together these presentations will speak to Christian efforts to "seek the welfare of the city."

For more details on the Symposium click here.

Holocaust Survivor to Speak

The History Department is pleased to announce that this coming Monday, November 3rd, in Frey 110 from 4:00-5:15pm Hilda Mantelmacher will give a talk entitled "Reflections of a Holocaust Survivor."

Hilda Mantelmacher is a native of the former Czechoslovakia. As a Holocaust survivor, she is a member of a dwindling group of eyewitnesses to the genocidal atrocities unleashed by the Nazi regime.

She survived Auschwitz Concentration Camp and was transferred to the Bergen-Belsen Camp, (the camp where Anne Frank and her sister died) where she was held prisoner until the end of the war. She also will be showing a documentary of Bergen Belsen that the British made. After the presentation she'll be glad to answer any questions.

AUTHOR AND HISTORIAN CHRISTINE ROSEN TO SPEAK

Rosen

Christine Rosen will speak in the history department on Monday, November 10 at 4:00pm, (room TBA).  Dr.. Rosen is on campus as part of the Messiah College God and Science forum.  For more information on her visit, click here.

Dr. Rosen is the author of Preaching Eugenics: Religious Leaders and the American Eugenics Movement (Oxford, 2004), a history of the ethical and religious debates surrounding the eugenics movement in the United States. She is also co-author (under her maiden name, Stolba), with Diana Furchtgott-Roth, of two books: Women’s Figures: An Illustrated Guide to the Economic Progress of Women in America (1999) and The Feminist Dilemma: When Success is Not Enough (2001). Mrs. Rosen’s newest book, My Fundamentalist Education: The Story of a Christian Fundamentalist School in Florida, was published by Public Affairs in December 2005. To download a radio interview and for additional information, see her website: http://www.eppc.org/scholars/scholarID.51/scholar.asp.

2007-2008:

The Pyla-Koutsopetria Archaeological Project 2008 field season in Cyprus was great success. For the discoveries of the the excavation and survey at this Late Roman town, see the blog staff and student blogs. 

Koutsopetria, Cyprus

School of Humanities Symposium, Feb. 25-29, 2008

The School of Humanities Symposium, "Eyes Wide Open: Engaging Technology with our Humanity," featured presentations by Professors Bernardo Michael, David Pettegrew, and Anne Marie Stoner-Eby and several History majors (Mary Lee Shade, Dillon Keeks, Jennifer Howell, and Daniel Richards).

HOMECOMING 2007

On Oct. 20, 2007, 12:00-1:00 pm, the history department was pleased to celebrate Homecoming with a number of history department graduates.

2006-2007:

Social Studies Alumni Night

Ran

On March 28th, five alumni of the Messiah College social studies program who are currently teaching in area public schools returned to the college to share their experiences with our six current social studies student teachers.  David Gilbert (Carlisle High School), Wayne Kantz (Manheim Township High School), Kim Pearce (Susquehanock High School), Seth Ran (Carlisle High School), and Brian Womer (East Pennsboro High School) graciously agreed to come to Prof. Fea's HIS 407: Social Studies Curriculum and Design Course to encourage our student teachers and offer invaluable advice about how to transition from Messiah College to the high school classroom.

Photo: Seth Ran (Carlisle High School)

 
Image of David Pettegrew Dr. David Pettegrew Joins Messiah History Department.  The history department is pleased to announce that Dr. David Pettegrew will be joining us in the Fall to teach courses in premodern European history.  David recently completed his Ph.D in Ancient History at Ohio State University and is currently working in Greece at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens.  David will offer courses in Latin, Ancient Greece and Rome, Late Antiquity, and Medieval Europe.  He will also offer students opportunities to participate in some of his archaeological research in Greece.   Dr. Pettegrew's research focuses on Corinth in late antiquity.  His dissertation, "Corinth on the Isthmus: Studies of the End of an Ancient Landscape," explores how this famous commercial city, situated at a major crossroads of the ancient Mediterranean, continued to function as an important cosmopolis between the third and sixth centuries AD at the very time that the world was undergoing significant cultural transformation. His study examines how the city's eastern isthmian territory remained a vital medium connecting the urban center to a wider Mediterranean landscape.   We welcome Dr. Pettegrew to Messiah College as the newest member of the History Department!!

 

2005-2006:

FOUR HISTORY MAJORS HONORED AS BOYER SCHOLARS  On Tuesday March 28, 2006, four Messiah history majors--Phil Bess, Justin Bollinger, Corinne Major, and Kelsey Spencer--were honored at a banquet for 2005-2006 Boyer Scholars. The Boyer Scholar distinction is one of the highest forms of recognition that Messiah College awards its students. The Boyer Scholars are a group of outstanding seniors at Messiah College, selected based on their academic achievements, leadership, and service. For more information on these four Boyer scholars and the Boyer Scholar program see: http://www.messiah.edu/boyer_center/program/scholars.html  Congratulations!

Andy Nauss, second from right, shows off his National History Day project, “In the Land of Giants.” With him are, from left, Willie Fordham, Leo “Syke” Burnette and, at right, Jim Weedon. Messiah Hosts Annual History Day  Once again, the Messiah College History Department and the Messiah College Center for Public Humanities hosted the annual South Central Pennsylvania History Day.  On April 1st, hundreds of area middle school and senior high students were on campus to present their projects and compete for a spot in the state history day later this spring at Penn State and a possible birth in the National History Day finals.  Faculty and students from Messiah, Shippensburg University, and the surrounding history community served as judges. (Photo from Carlisle Sentinel)



GRADUATE SCHOOL INFORMATION NIGHT!  Are you thinking about graduate school in history? If so, the History Club is sponsoring an evening with some of the history faculty to discuss options in graduate school.  Faculty will be sharing about their grad school experiences, answering any and all questions, and providing some tips about how to prepare for graduate work in history.  The meeting is open to all students, whether you are planning to apply to graduate school next year or whether you are first year students thinking about your options for the future.  Join us on Tuesday, October 3rd at 4:00pm in Boyer 130!