May 15, 2020 Mary Gates Hall HISTORY,PHILOSOPHY,INTERNATIONAL STUDIES,NEAR T-3E EASTERN LANGUAGES &CIVILIZATIONS 10:55 AM to 11:40 AM * Note: Titles in order of presentation. “Hail Hydra”: Marvel’s Captain America and White The Half Life of Environmental Racism: The Historical Nationalism in the United States Context and Bioethical Implications of Nuclear Waste on Erin Budrow, Senior, History , University of Puget Sound Indigenous Lands Mentor: Andrew Gomez, History, University of Puget Sound Katherine Gladhart-Hayes, Senior, Science, Technology, and Society, University of Puget Sound In 2016, Captain America brought comic books to the fore- Mentor: Kristin Johnson, Science, Technology and Society, front of national discussion with a single phrase: “Hail Hy- Puget Sound dra.” These two words proclaimed Captain America’s alle- giance to Hydra, one of Marvel Comics’ most recognizable This presentation discusses, through a series of historical case villains which has historically been used as an allegory for studies, how the issue of nuclear waste on indigenous lands the Nazi Party. The moment incited a riot not only among is a reproductive justice issue. Drawing on bioethical theory, comic book super fans, but casual onlookers as well. Many secondary historical and sociological analysis, and primary claimed that by aligning Captain America with Hydra, au- source accounts, the presentation demonstrates that the im- thor Nick Spencer disregarded the character’s origin as an pacts of nuclear waste on indigenous lands and communities anti-Nazi propaganda piece and later history as a defender are the result of systemic racism against indigenous commu- of American values, and gave fuel to the growing Alt-Right nities, and that those impacts, including high rates of miscar- movement in the United States. However, this moment was riage and reproductive cancers, remove bodily autonomy and not the first time that Captain America had joined the other reproductive choice. Negative health outcomes make com- side. In 1979, Captain America was briefly brainwashed into munities unsafe places to raise children, and the potential joining the National Force, an organization which acted as for increased exposure to toxins through traditional cultural a clear allegory for the various white nationalist movements practices impacts a community’s ability to raise children with gaining power in the United States at the time. While Hy- those cultural practices. This history and attention to nuclear dra and the National Force are comparable villains, the lenses waste as an issue of reproductive justice must be part of the through which the writers of both storylines present them conversation as energy and waste storage policies are devel- reveal how views of white nationalism have changed in the oped to address climate change. United States. Through a comparative analysis of these two storylines, this paper examines the ways in which the Cap- The Tao of Technological Evolution tain America comic books have reflected the shift in white Loren Herrera, Sophomore, Film Production, Philosophy, nationalist movements from a largely condemned movement Shoreline Community College to a viable political force. This project provides a new lens to Mentor: William Lindenmuth, Philosophy, Shoreline examine the history of white nationalism in the United States Community College while building on the current body of scholarship arguing for the importance of comic books as a historical source. Humanity is on the verge of a biotechnological epoch. What this will entail is a union of opposites: biological humans merging with artificial machines. Unity of opposites, or non- duality, is a timeless theme, one that is not only found in the ancient teachings of Heraclitus or in Greek mythology, but also in that of the I-Ching, and the Tao Te Ching. The yin-yang symbol is one of the earliest visual depictions of Undergraduate Research Program 1 www.uw.edu/undergradresearch this. Support for a unified theory of the universe is now be- tical questions. ing widely embraced; hence the shift from the old Standard Model of particle physics to the new Core Theory. Modern “Native Homes: Xavier’s Path from Sapmi´ to Tacoma” interpretation of what Laozi referred to as, Tao, suggests a Mathilde Magga, Senior, English Literature, Holocaust, process that is characteristic of a double torus, with a cuboc- Genocide and Indigenous Studies, Pacific Lutheran tahedron at its heart. Such a synergic principle would not University only be observable in the nature of matter, but also in that of Mentor: Wendy Call, English, Pacific Lutheran University the mind. It is of no coincidence that humanity is beginning to integrate with arguably its finest of achievements—tools. “Native Homes: Xavier’s path from Sapmi´ to Tacoma” is Synergic inquiry is the method by which this literature review a work of creative nonfiction grounded in scholarly and will be conducted, so as to build the argument that all things archival research about the first theologian at Pacific Lutheran are interdependently connected, distinguishable sub-systems University (PLU). Johan Ulrik Xavier was an Indigenous of a larger system. This implies that the convergence of hu- Sami´ man from Northern Norway (Sapmi).´ The Sami´ peo- man and machine is simply the beginning of a brand new, dis- ple have always been semi-nomads moving with their rein- tinguishable part in that whole. The study of synergetics, in deer. When Xavier’s family came to the United States in its wider applications, proves to be an invaluable tool to un- 1873, they left their traditional lifeway behind. Almost 150 derstand the macrocosm and microcosm relationship, and it years later, I left my Sami´ community in Tromso for an educa- will no doubt contribute greatly to the symbiotic relationship tion in the U.S. and found myself attending PLU. I stumbled between nanotechnology and molecular biology, as humanity upon the name Xavier on a campus building and I was told he seeks to build a better world. was Sami.´ “Native Homes” implements research on the sig- nificance of place and why people move, especially through The Setauket Gang: The American Revolutionary War an Indigenous perspective. While trying to understand who Spy Ring You’ve Never Heard About Xavier was and why his family moved, I found out that I am Fran Leskovar, Senior, Politics and Government , History, distantly related to Xavier. After feeling guilty for leaving my University of Puget Sound community, I was absolutely stunned by the fact that someone Mentor: Benjamin Tromly, HIstory, University of Puget related to me had done the same 150 years earlier and ended Sound up in the same place. This gave me a new connection to this land. “Native Homes” combines my archival research find- During the War for Independence, the American Commander ings with my personal exploration of the definition of home. in Chief, George Washington, relied heavily on a secret corre- ASami´ writer named Nils Aslak Valkeapa¨a¨ once wrote: “My spondence with his assets on the ground, both from members home is in my heart; it migrates with me.” I wondered if it of his clandestine service and ordinary pro-American colo- was possible that Xavier and I had managed to bring our Na- nials, while commanding the Continental Army and deciding tive homes this far from our Native lands. Through my essay, on his next move. Why did so many colonials betray their I strive to answer the questions: Is it possible for Native indi- families, social status, religious values, or overlook their ap- viduals to leave their Native land and still have strong ties to parent differences, such as ethnicity, gender, or race, and risk their culture? Is it possible to have multiple homes? being hanged to participate in something where the outcome was not certain? Could they have sensed that their moment in history was larger than they were and felt a premonition of the Jewish Life and Language in Yemen and the Horn of new country before it was born? By analyzing the operations Africa: Creating a Digital Exhibit of the most successful American intelligence ring, the Culper Ellen Rachel Perleberg, Senior, Linguistics, Near Eastern Ring, I provide answer to these questions. Primary sources, Studies (Languages & Civilization) including letters, memoirs, and official correspondence, part Undergraduate Research Conference Travel Awardee of the Library of Congress Collection, the National Archives Mentor: Liora Halperin, JSIS/HIST Collection, and William L. Clements Library, in conjunction Judaism has a long history in Yemen and the Horn of Africa, with secondary literature on both American Revolutionary In- with community folklores and oral histories often tracing telligence and the Revolutionary period are in the center of their origins to Solomon and the Queen of Sheba and a textual my argument. I conclude that a combination of ideology that history which highlights unique cultural and religious prac- emerged during the Revolution and individual experiences, tices and communal resilience. However, the Jewish commu- grievances, and desires, induced colonials to join the cause nities of Yemen and the Horn of Africa are often underrepre- and ultimately participate in the clandestine activity. Hope- sented in sources on Jewish history or presented with sensa- fully, this research will provide a foundation for future schol- tionalist, Orientalist tropes. Similarly, Ge’ez, Amharic, and arship on the American Revolutionary Intelligence and invite Judeo-Yemeni Arabic are significantly understudied in Jew- scholars of espionage to investigate other areas of spycraft ish Studies and in mainstream linguistics and literary stud- and not solely focus on techniques employed and other logis- 2 ies more generally. In this project, I will develop a digital Creating a Digital Map of the Tigris River in the 19th exhibit using Google Sites or Omeka about the history and Century culture of the Yemenite Jewish community and the Ethiopian Harper Zhu, Junior, International Studies, Biochemistry Jewish community known as Beta Israel.