History students are sharpening their research skills and deepening their world perspectives, all while shedding light on the past to help better understand the present.

Their insights are reflected in the Department of History’s recently launched Volume 11 of The General, Brock University’s journal of undergraduate history research.

Co-edited by fourth-year History student Ivan Rimac and fourth-year Concurrent Teacher Education student Eliana Fioraso, the volume is now available online and in hard copy at the Brock University Library.

The co-editors’ experiences marked a meaningful step forward in their academic careers as they engaged with peer research to weave together thematic threads for the final product.

The duo invited their peers to explore historical topics in relation to the journal’s theme, “young historians learning the craft.”

“As undergraduate students, we work hard to learn the steps that historians take, such as accessing archives and libraries and learning how to locate sources within sources,” Fioraso said. “It has been an honour to shine a light on the incredible and rigorous work of Brock History students.”

Rimac echoed the sentiment, noting that the 13 articles included in the volume left him amazed at “how thorough and fascinating undergraduate research can be.”

At the Department of History Student Awards Ceremony on April 6, Brock University students, faculty and staff gathered to celebrate the achievements of undergraduate students and honour seven award recipients for outstanding academic achievements.

The General showcases a breadth and depth of research topics spanning from ancient Greece to contemporary historical events in the 21st century.

The first half of the journal offers diverse perspectives on topics such as the social consequences of Perikles’ Citizenship Law in Classical Athenian society, a literary map of a fourth century pilgrimage to Jerusalem and the nature of legal reform in Tuscany from 1765-1790.

The latter articles dive into contemporary historical topics and explore Indigenous history and gendered aspects of colonization, Black midwives as a symbol of resistance, the theory of the decline in violence in the United States and a critical analysis of the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Fioraso said the lessons learned from professors about how to critically analyze primary and secondary sources have helped shape students’ views of historical world events.

“We are taught to be curious and to question the background of historical materials,” she said. “Sometimes what is missing tells us more than what is actually there.”

Rimac’s undergraduate experience has inspired him to pursue his Master of History at Brock next year, which will see him put his research skills to good use.

“Learning how to engage with others through peer review has been particularly impactful,” he said. “Working on these compelling essays has helped me develop perspectives about the current global landscape.”

Fioraso agreed, adding that engaging with the perspectives of others has helped shape her own views.

“That’s the value of doing this undergraduate academic work. We are using history to gain a deeper understanding of the world and even of ourselves,” she said.

The General was shared with the Brock community on April 6 at the Department of History Student Awards Ceremony, which celebrated the achievements of undergraduate students.

Seven History students were recognized for their academic achievements:

• First-year student Kianu Sadr, Department of History First-Year Book Prize
• Second-year student Anastasia Andoni, Department of History Second-Year Book Prize
• Third-year student Tristan Catarino, Department of History Third-Year Book Prize
• Third-year student Lydia Burke, Donald Goodspeed Book Prize
• Fourth-year student Benjamin Lawrence, John and Barbara McEwen Prize in British History
• Fourth-year student Lydia Datta, Lillie A. Traver Scholarship
• Fourth-year student Hannah Twiss, Frank and Amy Wills Memorial Award