TWU publishes 17th edition of Ibid.

July 1, 2024 – DENTON – For those with ambitions of making writing an integral part of their lives, there are three tests they must face and pass: editorial review, peer judgment, and being deemed worthy of publication.

Eight TWU students can mark those off their to-do list.

Months of research, writing, rewriting, editing and polishing paid off for those students with the publication of the 17th edition of Ibid., the annual journal of the Texas Woman's University History Department.

"We've had students who published their work in Ibid. and then they've been cited by other scholars," said Aubri Thurmond, TWU history lecturer and Ibid. faculty advisor. "They really have the opportunity to contribute to the historical narrative and the conversation between scholars. It's a really neat experience and a wonderful opportunity for students."

This year's Ibid. features nine essays (two by one author) that explore the intersections of history, society and culture in such topics as Black-owned newspapers and their use of Christian rhetoric, book reviews focused on the American West, the creation of Arlington National Cemetery and inquire whether or not Brown v. Board brought about integration for all public schools.

Ibid. is open to all TWU graduate and undergraduate students, not just history majors, as long as their subject has a historical perspective. On average, 10-20 essays are submitted each year. Over the years, submissions have come from students in the sciences, sports, arts, business, health sciences, education and nutrition.

"Initially, they have to submit a paper, but it does not have to be polished," Thurmond said. "There needs to be enough of the paper completed to where the editors and the editorial board can see an argument, evidence and the direction the paper is taking."

Essays go through editorial review and are returned to the students for further revision. From there, a board which includes faculty members from other universities selects the essays for that year's Ibid.

"Ibid. provides students a space to apply the feedback that they received from their professors, to get additional feedback from faculty members and their peers and continue to improve their work," Thurmond said. "The students are very enthusiastic about it, nervous, of course, because they're vulnerable to have other people read something you've written and critique it. But the students seem to get a lot out of it."

This year's authors are:

Miranda Adams (The Encomienda: The Spark to the Pueblo Revolt), an undergraduate history major.

Haylee Cardinal (The Creation of Arlington National Cemetery) an undergraduate history major.

Damon Parker (Preaching in Print: The Use of Christian Rhetoric in Black-Owned Newspapers During Reconstruction), a MA candidate in history.

Meghan Pearce (Nineteenth Century Collegiate Secret Societies and Their Roles Within the Female World of Love and Ritual), an undergraduate history major.

Madelon Proctor (Review of Citizens of a Stolen Land, and A Book Review of A Failed Vision of Empire), a MA candidate in history.

Tanya Souther (The Weeping Land and Its People), an undergraduate history major.

Thandy Tolbert (Women’s Work in the Abolition Movement), a MA candidate in sociology.

Dawn Welch (A Tale of Two Cities: The Desegregation and Resegregation of Public High schools in Mansfield and Dallas, Texas), a MA candidate in history.

In addition to being selected for publication, the editorial board also names the winners of the Valentine J. Belfiglio Best Paper Awards for the year's best essays. This year's winners are Damon Parker for “Preaching in Print: The Use of Christian Rhetoric in Black-Owned Newspapers During Reconstruction,” and Meghan A. Pearce for “Nineteenth Century Collegiate Secret Societies and Their Roles Within the Female World of Love and Ritual.”

"Every volume of Ibid. has its own flavor," Thurmond said. "One of the wonderful things about the process is that for each volume, we can decide what kind of papers we want to accept. Sometimes we have film reviews, which are really interesting. One year there was a freshman history survey and survey course where the students had to do original research, which for freshmen was like kind of a big ask. But we actually had a section in Ibid. that highlighted first year student research, and that was really cool. We've done community paper contests and published the winners in Ibid. Being so dynamic with what kind of papers we can accept kind of breathes new life into the project every year. It's always really fun to see kind of what direction it takes and what kind of papers we receive."

Click here to view the 17th edition of Ibid.