Student History Research Symposium is April 21 at SMU
WINONA, Minn. — Seniors from four area universities will present the results of their historical research at the Student History Research Symposium on Saturday, April 21, at Saint Mary’s University. The event — free and open to the public — is sponsored by the history departments of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Saint Mary’s University, Viterbo University of La Crosse, and Winona State University.
In addition to the student presenters, Dr. Peter Rachleff, professor of history at Macalester College in St. Paul, will highlight the value of historical thinking for citizens of a democracy in his presentation, “Comparing Freedom Movements: Lessons from the U.S. and South Africa.” Dr. Rachleff focuses his research and teaching on labor history and on the history of racism and the struggle against racial oppression. He recently contributed to the Science Museum of Minnesota’s on-going exhibit called “Race: Are we so different?”
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Saint Mary’s University and Winona State University have co-sponsored a student research symposium for eight years. This year they welcome UW-La Crosse and Viterbo University into their collaboration. Each school asks senior history majors, and at Winona State, law and society majors, to write a senior thesis based on their original research of a historical question of their own choosing. In this way, the students actually do the work of historians, and in the process, deepen their research, writing and speaking skills.
All symposium sessions will be held on the third and fourth floors of Saint Mary’s Hall. The symposium opens at 9 a.m. in Salvi Lecture Hall (Room 332) with a short welcoming ceremony and coffee. At 9:15 a.m., students will present their research in concurrent sessions of three students each. At 10:15 a.m., a complimentary brunch will be served in the Common Room, followed by Dr. Rachleff’s talk at 10:30 a.m. A second session of concurrent panels will begin at 11:45 a.m.
For further information, contact Dr. Greg Gaut, Department of History, Saint Mary’s University, at (507) 457-6944 or ggaut@smumn.edu.
