Dear Reader,
This edition of Past and Present includes a wide variety of topics across the disciplines of History, Political Science, and Intelligence Analysis. Paper topics stretch from exploring women’s involvement with popular science during the Victorian era, to online discourse regarding gender-neutral pronouns, and to the development of the CIA. Even though there are diverse subjects, many of the papers discuss topics that illustrate disheartening issues of the world: violence, sickness, and hatred.
It is easy to become discouraged after dealing with such disheartening issues, but we wanted to recognize the potential for hope, for regrowth. Our cover reflects this. It is a desolate landscape, torn up by battle; structures are crumbling; trees and land scorched by fire; the absence of life. And yet, the dandelion grows front and center. A simple everyday plant–a weed–is a simple beauty that survives. It is resilient. Regrowth doesn’t start with a garden of roses or a field full of sunflowers. It starts with a simple dandelion.
The back cover symbolizes what a single dandelion, the first step to regrowth, can bloom into given time. The same desolate and broken landscape now covered in green. Vines and moss creep over the broken stones. Flowers and grass cover the scarred land. The sky is a vibrant blue.
This landscape illustrates that change may take time, but ultimately good can persist. It is a reminder that even in the darkest times, in the worst of places, there can always be hope and the opportunity for things to change for the better.
Thank you,
Victoria Blanc
Marissa Stambaugh