Essay paper winner: Katrina Siason
Major: Political Science, Economics, and Spanish
Winning submission: “Gender and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Crisis as a Springboard for Change,” written for a class with Professor Patricia Sohn.
Katrina explains her paper:
“I wrote my qualitative research paper, “Gender and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Crisis as a Springboard for Change,” under the guidance of Dr. Patricia Sohn for the Political Science Junior Fellows program in the Fall 2020 semester. I chose this topic because conventional wisdom gives comparatively little focus on the complexity of international conflict on women, and I realized that the role of women in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is much more complex than what traditional literature interprets it to be. I found that the literature on women and their role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict differed in its estimation of the manners in which the conflict affects them: (1) the traditional notion that women are socially fragile; (2) women are doubly marginalized; and (3) women use the conflict as a springboard to carve out their rights. Rather than dismiss the consequences of conflict on such a large section of the afflicted populace, increased research and investigation on women ought to be encouraged and normalized.”
Research paper winner: Alex Richardson
Major: Economics
Winning submission: “French Anti-Semitism and the Dreyfus Affair” for a class with Professor Gayle Zachmann
Alex explains her paper:
“My paper tracked and analyzed the usage and damage caused by negative Jewish stereotypes in France from the mid-1800s until the end of the Dreyfus Affair in 1906. France’s military defeat in the Franco-Prussian War and an economic recession in the late nineteenth-century led to widespread dissatisfaction among the French public and antisemitism was used as a means of deflecting blame for these struggles. The Dreyfus Affair catalyzed these sentiments and seemingly set the stage for the widespread antisemitism that would be experienced throughout the first half of the twentieth century.
I graduated with my B.A. in Economics and a minor in French & Francophone Studies in the Spring of 2021. I have accepted an offer of admission from the Economics M.A. program here at the University of Florida and will graduate in the Spring of 2022. Upon completion, I plan to pursue further graduate studies and eventually work at the international level in the field of natural resource management with a focus on expanding access to sustainable clean drinking water around the world.”
Creative category winner: Juan C. Miranda
Major: History
Winning submission: The Red Dreidel, a game that Miranda created for a class with Professor Seth Bernstein.
Juan explains his project:
“The Red Dreidel is a point and click historical narrative which takes you down the path of Soviet-Jews from the origin of the Soviet Union until the end of the second World War. It is an immersive experience filled with historical images, songs, and choices which allow players to feel involved in a short yet realistic experience. Every choice that the player makes will affect their chosen character’s life going forward and show the many different experiences of Soviet-Jews and the consequences of picking between traditional Judaism, and the Soviet state. With twelve different endings this game stands to tell the many stories of those who embraced the Soviet system, those who chose family, fought against the fascists, and the victims who suffered at the hands of tyranny.
Juan Miranda will graduate UF in December 2021. He plans to continue his studies in Central Eastern European history with a focus on Poland and the Warsaw Uprisings that happened in 1943 and 1944. “The multiple resistance movements that fought for their freedom against Nazi tyranny as well Soviet tyranny, are groups that need their stories told. I plan on teaching history not only as a Professor, but in other medias such as film. As a Cuban and a historian, I believe that the many stories of struggles need to be told and the arts will be key in this.”
For guidelines on the Shorstein Awards please visit Student Writing Awards