Csi undergraduate conference on research, scholarship...

Social Scientific Methods in
Comparative Perspective
Room 222, 1:30pm–2:55pm
P A P E R 1
The Western Union Telegraph
Expedition and the Participants’
Views of the Natives They
Encountered
Kelly Cooper
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Susan Smith-Peter
Department of History
Between 1865 and 1868 members of the Western
Union Telegraph Expedition encountered many
native people on their journeys through Alaska and
Siberia. Historians have not given a detailed or
complete account of the Western Union Telegraph
Expedition, especially the encounters between the
participants and the natives of Siberia and Alaska.
This paper tries to provide this account and examine
a topic that has not been given much consideration.
This paper concentrates on the views of the
expedition participants towards the natives they
encountered on their journeys. Based on the written
accounts of George Kennan, Richard Bush, and
William H. Dall, this paper argues that all the
participants viewed the natives they encountered as
inferior, and that this opinion was shared by the
white American population at the time. The
expedition members’ views about the natives can be
connected to the broader white American view that
natives, including Native Americans, were barbarians.
This paper argues that this view contributed to the
negative view the expedition participants had of the
natives in Alaska and Siberia. This negative view
varied in degree among the participants, but none of
them found the natives to be equal. This was
surprising because most of the participants would
have died had the natives not been so helpful in
such terrible conditions.
P A P E R 2
The International Committee of
the Red Cross and the Terezin
Ghetto
Deryn Cro
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Mark Lewis
Department of History
The Nazis set up the Terezin ghetto in the
Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia to persuade
the outside world that Jews were being protected
Research Paper Presentations
within the Third Reich. Even after an investigation
by the International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC), the Nazis were still able to maintain this
façade. This study focuses on the time between
1941-1945 when Terezin was first developed, and
suspicions regarding the Final Solution began to
increase. Historians have previously speculated that
the ICRC, as a neutral organization, had its hands
tied with regards to the Holocaust. However, this
research hopes to use archival evidence to show
that the ICRC not only had previous knowledge but
also chose to not act upon this information. It also
seeks to explain why the organization made the
decisions it did. Another objective is to explain
why the ICRC made no further inquiries after
visiting Terezin, and the lengths the Nazis went to
in order to cover up the true purpose of the “model
ghetto.” This research looks to back up accusations
that the ICRC failed to provide proper
humanitarian assistance that could have halted the
Nazis’ plans for extermination.
P A P E R 3
The New York City Mayoralty and
Public Opinion
Kanika Khanna
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Richard Flanagan
Department of Political Science, Economics and
Philosophy
The New York City Mayoralty and Public Opinion
examines the relationship between approval ratings
and conditions/events and on the highest political
office of New York City. Through a comparative
study of the mayoral terms of Koch, Dinkins,
Giuliani, and Bloomberg, I note a shift in public
perception of mayoral performance regarding the
economic state of New York City. This study utilizes
both statistical analysis of polling data and
historical analysis of New York City’s political
system. Resources used include polling data,
archives, newspapers, and numerous historical
publications. From my research, I have concluded
that the Bloomberg mayoralty is held less
accountable for economic downturns than
previous administrations; however, opinions on a
mayor’s effectiveness during economic struggle are
influenced by the portrayal of the mayoralty’s
leadership and relatability.
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