Several student members of Phi Alpha Theta, the history honors society, traveled to the Western Pennsylvania Regional Phi Alpha Theta conference held at Grove City College in Pennsylvania on March 26. Seven students presented, and three—Joseph Gucciardo, John Guzda, and Felipe Villela—received awards for presenting the best papers in their individual panels.

Joseph Gucciardo presented “The Dark Side of the Industrial Revolution: The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire,” a discussion about how the failure of early twentieth-century technology led to the death of 146 people, mostly young women, in this tragic 1911 factory fire.

John Guzda presented “Robert E. Lee: A Real Life Marble Man,” in which he argues that Lee’s true character and accomplishments are better represented in so-called “lost cause” mythology about the Civil War than by recent efforts to minimize his accomplishments both as a general and as a political leader.

Felipe Villela presented “Brasilianos, Negros e Mulatos: How an Integrated Insurgency Re-conquered Brazil, 1630–1654.” This paper discusses the little-known war between the Netherlands and Portugal for control of Brazil in the seventeenth century and how non-Europeans contributed to the Portuguese victory.

Marrisa Fabrizi presented “Woman’s Role in Armenian Culture: Pre and Post Genocide”; Joy Zappia presented “The English Protestant Perspective on the Spanish Inquisition”; Alanna Letson presented “Rollo of Normandy: His Historical Significance; and Alyson Franklin presented “From Hopelessness to Action: The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943.”

The students were accompanied to the conference by Bridget M. Chesterton, assistant professor of History and Social Studies Education and adviser to Phi Alpha Theta. “Our students’ research and writing shone in a competitive field,” said Chesterton, “and our students experienced the kind of scholarly community that encourages such work.”