By Jacob Pronit (Class of 2012)
Seniors are busy people but seniors who write theses are really busy people. Thankfully, because they are super nice and wonderful, each senior history author took a couple minutes to write a short profile for the history blog. We hope you like our questions and their answers!
Brooke Grasberger (Salem, Massachusetts)
Thesis Title and Description: “Salvation and Superstition: Reform and the Jonah at Sea” is a discussion of reform efforts directed at sailors in the early nineteenth century, and how these intersected with unorthodox beliefs held by sailors.
How you chose your thesis topic?
I grew up in a sailing family, reading sea tales and sailors’ stories my whole life. My first job was at sea, and I live in a city that was once one of this country’s major ports. When the time came to choose a thesis topic, it seemed natural to write about the ocean, as it’s something I will always return to.
Extracurricular Activities & Hobbies? I work at the Writing Center, sing with the Chapel Singers, and play on Trinity’s rugby team. In addition, I’m writing a poetry thesis this semester.
Favorite courses you’ve taken at Trinity College? Most of the classes I’ve taken, actually. I’ve had a great experience with the English department, the History department, and Arabic.
Best Spot on Campus? The bench under the magnolia behind the chapel.
Plans after Trinity? I hope to move to the Middle East for a while, and work there until I go to graduate school.
Erin Dorsey (Wayzata, Minnesota)
Thesis Title and Description: “Connecticut’s Consideration of the American Civil War: Soldiers’ and Politicians’ responses to the First Battle of Bull Run.” I am arguing that the First Battle of Bull Run affected the politicians of Connecticut more than the soldiers. Essentially, the reasons behind soldiers’ enlistment changed little after the First Battle of Bull Run. Their lives at camp remained the same and they had the same problems they had before the battle – bad uniforms, low rations, and so on. The politicians, on the other hand, experienced a significant shift in their sphere after the battle. They had to create new recruitment laws, military bills, and bounty bills. Connecticut had a major peace-time Democrat movement that flourished after the Union’s lost, unlike any other state still in the Union.
How you chose your thesis topic? I wanted to write about the Civil War and came upon a passage in James McPherson’s Battle Cry of Freedom about the First Battle of Bull Run, “The paradox of Bull Run: its legacy of confidence both hurt and helped the South; the humiliation and renewed determination both hurt and helped the North” (McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom, 350). I found this analysis of Bull Run to be really interesting, so I presented the idea of writing about the First Battle of Bull Run to Professor Gac. He liked the idea, but said the topic should be narrowed significantly, so he recommended I write about Connecticut’s reaction to the battle. As I researched, I found that the battle affected politicians and soldiers differently, so I chose to pursue that comparison as my topic.
Extracurricular Activities & Hobbies? Trinity College Rising Stars, J.E.L.L.O.
Favorite courses you’ve taken at Trinity College? Civil War and Reconstruction with Professor Gac.
Best Spot on Campus? The Upper Long Walk.
Plans after Trinity? Gain teaching experience and eventually teach American History at my high school, The Blake School, in Minnesota.
Paige Durgin (Hamilton, Massachusetts)
Thesis Title and Description: “Le Memorie di Galeazzo Ciano: An Insider’s view of Fascist Italy during the Second World War.” I am studying the Italian Foreign Minister, Galeazzo Ciano, and using his extensive diaries, which he kept from 1936 to 1942, to illuminate the political weaknesses that contributed to the collapse of the Italian Fascist Regime.
How you chose your thesis topic? During the fall semester of my junior year I studied abroad in Rome. I took a course called 20th century Italy and became very interested in Mussolini and the Fascist regime. When I came back to Trinity in the spring, Professor Cocco suggested that I take a look at Ciano’s diaries which were published after WW2, and I’ve been intrigued with Ciano and his role in the Fascist regime ever since.
Extracurricular Activities & Hobbies? While at Trinity, I’ve been involved with various organizations on campus that have done a lot of volunteer work with local food pantries and shelters; I’ve really enjoyed working with the local community.
Favorite courses you’ve taken at Trinity College?This is a tough question, I am torn between three: 20th Century Italy, Rome Campus; WWII with Professor Kassow; Form Years: 1793-1815 with Professor Chatfield
Best Spot on Campus? The Main Quad in the spring
Plans after Trinity? As right now, everything is up in the air….but I’d eventually like to pursue a career in publishing
Virgilio Bisio (New York City)
Thesis Title and Description: I don’t have a title yet, but the topic is Foreigners in Shanghai during the Japanese occupation (1941-1945).
How you chose your thesis topic? I knew that I wanted to do something on the republican period of Chinese history, so I had a conversation with professor Lestz and Bayliss and we came up with the topic
Extracurricular Activities & Hobbies? Everything!!!
Favorite courses you’ve taken at Trinity College? Germany with Professor Kassow
Best Spot on Campus? Elton 104 – my freshman year dorm room.
Plans after Trinity? After graduation I am hoping to go to China and work for a small business firm, non-profit organization or think tank. I want to gain some work experience and continue to improve my Chinese language abilities. I would like to work for a couple of years and then attend graduate school in the US.
Alex Powell (Westwood, Massachusetts)
Thesis Title and Description: “Etienne Dolet: Renaissance Translator”. I am looking into La Manière de bien traduire, a treatise on translation that he published in 1540, and linking it to the overall transition from Latin to vernacular languages in early modern European literature.
How you chose your thesis topic? I wanted to combine my history thesis with aspects of my other major, Language and Culture Studies: French/German. Translation was a natural and interesting choice.
Extracurricular Activities & Hobbies? Cinestudio, French and German Clubs, cooking and napping
Favorite courses you’ve taken at Trinity College? No favs–all history seminars I’ve taken have been equally awesome
Best Spot on Campus? Anywhere outside of my carrel on level 3.
Plans after Trinity? Going to University of York for an MA in Cultural Heritage Management, acquiring a false accent.
Carolyn Taratko (New Canaan, Connecticut)
Thesis Title and Description: “Landscape and Identity: Competing Claims for the Hearts of Alsatians from 1870-1918” examines the way in which features of the land were used to substantiate French and German claims to the region of Alsace. Alsace was annexed by the Prussians under the terms of the Treaty of Frankfurt following the Franco-Prussian war, only to be returned to France following World War I.
How you chose your thesis topic? I am interested in contested spaces and borderlands, and studying Alsace has allowed me to make use of my background in French and German history. Additionally, my great-grandmother was from the region.
Extracurricular Activities & Hobbies? Running, tennis, cross-country skiing, Cinestudio, German club.
Favorite courses you’ve taken at Trinity College? Bilingualism in the Francophone World.
Best Spot on Campus? Balcony of Cinestudio
Plans after Trinity? Ideally I will pursue my PhD in history
Joseph Laws (Red Hook, New York)
Thesis Title and Description: ‘An Independent Course.’ My thesis examines the African colonization movement to Liberia, with attention to those operating within Connecticut during the antebellum period.
How you chose your thesis topic? In Professor Markle’s African History to 1850 course, he gave us some primary documents from African American emigrants to Liberia, and one of them was from Connecticut. I used the fact that this single individual from Connecticut to examine a whole web individuals, local organizations, and communities that were connected with the Liberia colonization movement in 19th century.
Extracurricular Activities & Hobbies? I sleep in the Community Service Office. Not really, I just spend too much time down there. I do a lot of community service work, and have a couple of on-campus jobs.
Favorite courses you’ve taken at Trinity College? American Art with Professor Kathleen Curran.
Best Spot on Campus? History Department Library
Plans after Trinity? I am currently looking for a job.
Adam Whitehurst (Setauket, New York)
Thesis Title & Description: “Cool Abroad: Dave Brubeck and Cold War Cultural Diplomacy” examines the 1958 State Department tour by the Dave Brubeck Quartet to Poland and the Middle East. Brubeck’s tour was an early experiment of America’s new “Jazz Diplomacy” initiative, which sent American jazz bands, paid by the government, to tour overseas in order to bolster America’s image worldwide.
How you chose your thesis topic? I wanted to write about something in jazz history, and my adviser Professor Gac suggested I look into one of the Jazz Ambassador tours as a possible thesis topic. I found that Dave Brubeck, one of my favorite jazz pianists, had done a tour in 1958 and not much had been written about it, so I decided to write about it!
Extracurricular Activities & Hobbies? I play jazz saxophone in the Trinity Jazz Ensemble and I lead a jazz group, the Adam Whitehurst Trio, which performs at college events.
Favorite Courses you’ve taken at Trinity? Writing the American Desert with Professor Reger.
Best Spot on Campus? The practice rooms in Austin Arts!
Plans after Trinity? Graduate School, Ph.D in American Studies. I hope to teach at a university.