Annie will present her research on Eleanor of Aquitaine at the Lucerna Symposium on March 11. For more about Annie’s work, keep reading.

What is your Lucerna project about?

My Lucerna project looks at how chroniclers wrote about Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122-1204) during and shortly after her lifetime and how current scholars utilize those chronicles to make decisions about her character.

Why are you interested in this topic?

I have always been very interested in medieval history, specifically the depiction of powerful women. Eleanor of Aquitaine was a perfect subject for this type of project since much has been written about her.

What have been the benefits and challenges of this project?

This project required engaging with several different types of scholarship about Eleanor. The project helped me significantly with understanding the types of questions someone can ask of primary sources and how to answer those questions meaningfully. The challenges were using those primary sources in the first place, as finding reliable translations of these were difficult. Additionally, sifting through all of the chronicles and secondary literature about Eleanor to find the most influential works was a significant challenge in the beginning.

What is your advice for students who are interested in publishing their work in Lucerna?

Your faculty advisor is your best friend. Schedule meetings with them often, if you can, get their feedback and apply that feedback to the best of your ability. Having that mentor who has been through the process of writing and disseminating academic scholarship is an incredible opportunity, especially for undergraduates.

What are your professional plans or goals?

I’m currently getting my M.A. in Medieval Studies, which has always been a goal of mine. I want to go on to get a Ph.D. in a medieval field. One day, I wish to be a professor at a university teaching people how exciting the medieval period can be while also doing my own research.

Anna will present her research on historic preservation in Kansas City at the Lucerna Symposium on March 11. For more about Anna’s work, keep reading.

What is your Lucerna project about?

My Lucerna project is an investigation into historical buildings in Kansas City and the potential they hold for affecting future generations. Beginning with UMKC’s very own Scofield Hall, my writing explores how many structures and areas of historical significance have endured over the years as a direct result of their capacity to be adapted to meet changing societal needs. I argue that repurposing historical buildings has many financial and social benefits and ensures that they do not become obsolete, which could happen if they are only preserved rather than put to a new use.

Why are you interested in this topic?

This project sprang from my experiences in Scofield Hall coupled with my Anchor and Discourse classes from prior semesters. For an assignment in my Anchor 200 course, we were tasked with walking around campus and observing social and cultural elements in the buildings and people we encountered. My friend and I sat down in front of the old fireplace in the lobby of Scofield, and I was struck by how much change the mansion had experienced, as it now housed offices and classrooms instead of ballrooms and dining rooms. The juxtaposition of the antique with the functional was an aspect of Scofield that stood out to me, and from there Scofield became a microcosm for a phenomenon I began to notice in other places in Kansas City. When we were tasked with a writing assignment for Discourse 200, I wanted to do further research into historical buildings in KC, of which there is no shortage, and examine the most effective method of ensuring their survival.

What have been the benefits and challenges of this project?

Some benefits of the project are the ways in which it has deepened my connection to and knowledge of my community and my campus. Though I’ve been in Kansas City my whole life, it’s easy to be present, but not invested, in the area’s culture or history. Doing the research for this paper has increased my appreciation for the richness of KC’s history, and it has also refined my investigation and composition skills as a student.

One of the challenges for this project was the scarcity of academic research for Kansas City specifically. While certain statistics and bits of information are relatively easy to come by, scholarly analysis of some historical buildings or cultural aspects of Kansas City is rare if not nonexistent. This research drought contributed to another more personal challenge, which was actually persisting in writing the paper. My typical writing process for most classes and assignments is usually no more than a few hours, as it becomes second nature to mechanically construct an essay that will get me a decent grade. This was the first paper in a long time that demanded my consistent investment over the course of days and weeks of writing, drafting, and revising. Striving for excellence rather than settling for mediocrity was the most rewarding challenge of the project.

What is your advice for students who are interested in publishing their work in Lucerna?

My advice would be to set your own standards of acceptability. Especially in the Honors College, I’m sure many students are familiar with what it takes to write an “A” or “B” paper. You know how much effort it will require to get the grade you want, and oftentimes that acknowledgement allows plenty of space for passivity and subsequent mediocrity. That strategy is undoubtedly effective in passing classes, but if your goal is getting published, set the bar high. Don’t neglect the writing process, and don’t neglect your own potential to craft something better than just “okay.”

What are your professional plans or goals?

Right now my plan is to maximize my time at UMKC to gain experience in the writing and editing field, establish valuable connections, and be equipped for the various paths my future career could take. I plan to graduate with my Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies and a minor in Spanish, and from there I plan to enter the workforce in Kansas City, likely with some kind of writing-related job. I do want to note that my professional plans, while important, are not my purpose, joy, or fulfillment in life. In whatever career I end up, my goal and singular pursuit will always be to serve God and share His truth and love with other people. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the heartbeat of my life, and whether I’m writing or editing or getting published or getting another degree, that will always be my goal and reason for living.

Yujay will present her civil rights photography study at the Lucerna Symposium on March 11. For more about Yujay’s work, keep reading.

What is your Lucerna project about?

The title of my study is “Civil Rights Photography and Consensus Memory.” I address photography, the Civil Rights Movement, and consensus memory, which is the most common narrative of a time period, event, or movement. It is what we all learn in school and see in movies, and it is essentially the standard way of talking about a certain time period. In my paper, I look at how the photographs from the Civil Rights Movement inform this common narrative and our collective understanding of the movement. I look at the photos in detail, examining the contexts in which they appear and explain the narrative and visual stories they tell.

Why are you interested in this topic?

I’m interested in this topic because it is an intersection of my favorite subjects: historical photography and historical literacy. I think one of the most important things for people to know is how to understand and interpret our history, which comes in many formats from films and documentaries to books and exhibits. One of the most accessible and engaging ways to learn about history is through photographs. I think they capture people’s attention and imagination more than a lot of other vehicles for history, because they can be striking, beautiful, and thought provoking. I also think they are more accessible because photographs easy to find in our digital age and everyone understands (to some degree) how to look at a photo and understand the story it tells. In that sense, photographs can be excellent tools for teaching history. I also think that today, when Black people are demonstrating and fighting for equality, and that fight is more visible than ever thanks to social media, it’s important for people to know how to read the photos they are seeing and understand the stories they’re telling. I hope that when people read my essay that they can apply these same ideas to the photographs of contemporary activists that they see today.

What have been the benefits and challenges of this project?

One of the biggest benefits has been having the opportunity to connect my interests in art history and history. I am really interested in the ways that art informs how we understand history and vice versa. Some of the photographs I discussed wouldn’t be the first that come to mind when you think of photography as an art form, but all photos have a place in the history of the practice, and I was able to discuss that in this project. As for challenges, a big one was keeping this paper concise. I think I could have written another ten pages about the connection between the photographs from the Civil Rights Era and the contemporary photos we see of Black Lives Matter activists. Another challenge came from the Covid-19 pandemic and getting primary sources. I think I missed out on using two or three newspapers because of shutdowns and restrictions, but ultimately, I was still able to produce a paper that I was really proud of.

What is your advice for students who are interested in publishing their work in Lucerna?

I would say that no matter what your paper is about, if it’s one you are proud of and the subject is one you are passionate about, submit the paper. The journal covers a variety of subjects  and being passionate about the paper and the subject helps you though the editing process to keep you focused on creating a paper that is really high quality.

What are your professional plans or goals?

Right now, my plans are to go to graduate school and pursue a Master’s degree in Library Science and a Master’s degree in US history. I want to learn how to make information, especially historical information, more accessible to the public so that more people can engage with photographs, journals, newspapers, and other primary sources. I also want to study and write more about the late twentieth century in this country. I hope to be able to work in libraries and museums in the future to make history more readily available and relatable to the public and to be the person who can help guide people to the resources and materials that can help answer their questions about the past.