Wichita State News: History

Professor named to help oversee grants for historic sites

The governor has appointed Wichita State University professor Jay Price to the board that oversees grant funding for historic places.

Price is the director of the public history program at WSU, where he teaches courses in American cultural and social history. He is also on the Kansas Humanities Council board.

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WSU a sponsor for events, screening of Tallgrass slave-trade film

The Society of Public Historians at Wichita State University, WSU's Special Collections and University Archives, and WSU's film studies program are among sponsors for two days of events in September for the Wichita Association of the Motion Picture Arts and Tallgrass Film Festival's Third Thursday film series.

The festival will present "Traces of the Trade: A Story of the Deep North" at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, at the Warren Theatre West, 9150 W. 21st St. Tickets, which go on sale Thursday, Sept. 10, are $9, with discounts for students and senior citizens.

The film's director, Katrina Browne, and producer, Juanita Brown, will participate in all events over the two days they are in Wichita.

Lorraine Madway, WSU archivist and curator of Special Collections, will join Browne and Brown in classroom discussions at a Special Collections workshop featuring slave-related documents.

The filmmakers also will participate in a community potluck at St. James Episcopal Church, which is a sponsor, too. Then they'll be on hand for the screening and the panel afterward on slavery's impact on American society and the issue of reparations.

Other sponsors include the Kansas African American Museum and Avivo Brick Oven Pizzeria; the filmmakers' participation and related events are supported by a grant from the Kansas Humanities Council. Here is the schedule of events:

2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16, WSU's Ablah Library: Discussion and Examination of Slavery Artifacts with the Filmmakers

Presentations by Madway and filmmakers Browne and Brown on how documents and artifacts of the slave trade help researchers come to grips with the many ramifications of slavery in 18th- and 19th-century America. Free and open to the public. For more information, contact Jay Price at jay.price@wichita.edu or (316) 978-7792.

6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16, St. James Episcopal Church, 3750 E. Douglas: The legacy of slavery and reconciliation.

Filmmakers Browne and Brown will discuss the work of the national and local Episcopal Church regarding the "continued legacy of slavery, apology and repair." The event hopes to bring together people from a diverse array of faith traditions and racial backgrounds. Free and open to the public. For more information, contact Jay Price at jay.price@wichita.edu or (316) 978-7792.

7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, Warren Theatre West, 9150 W. 21st Street: "Traces of the Trade: a Story of the Deep North," film screening, Q&A with filmmakers and panel

The panel will be moderated by Mark McCormick, director of the Kansas African American Museum and former Wichita Eagle columnist. Panelists will be Gerald Norwood and Gretchen Eick. Norwood is a local historian who has worked with WSU Special Collections regarding the history of slavery. Gretchen Eick is a Friends University professor of history and author of the book "Dissent in Wichita." Movie admission: $9 with discounts available.

After the movie screening and panel discussion, a community reception will be held at Avivo Brick Oven Pizzeria, 2441 N. Maize Rd. Ste 101.

Tallgrass Third Thursday special screenings are a program of the Wichita Association of the Motion Picture Arts, which also produces the Tallgrass Film Festival.

This year's festival is scheduled for Oct. 23-25 at venues in and around downtown Wichita.

For more information about the festival, visit www.tallgrassfilmfest.com or contact Teri Mott at (614) 506-9307 or teri@tallgrassfilm.com.

WSU grad student studies the history of religion

Religion is history to Alisa Cotter, a graduate student in the Master in Liberal Arts and Sciences program at Wichita State University.

Cotter began her college career as an art major, but, after her first semester, found herself interested in different things, from philosophy to psychology.

Dan Brown's "The DaVinci Code" sparked her interest in religion, but not the book. She said his bibliography changed her life.

"It opened my eyes," she said about Brown's bibliography, "that there are traditions older than the Catholic church, that there were New Testament stories about Jesus, for example, that were deemed heretical."

Cotter grew up in a household that was not very religious, was baptized as a Catholic and took required religion classes in middle school in Colwich, but she rarely went to church.

"I didn't grow up having that strong perspective," she said, which helps her to step away and look at religion from a historical perspective.

She said it was fascinating for a young person coming out of a small Catholic town.

"You don't learn about Plato or other cultures," she said. "It's amazing how much you don't learn."

Cotter said religion professor Stuart Lasine has been the most active participant in her academic career. She will lecture about different topics in biblical studies in his classes this semester.

Her academic resume is impressive. She was awarded the Medieval and Renaissance Certificate, part of a program at WSU that encourages students to gain a broader understanding of those periods.

She published a paper in the history department's Fairmount Folio and presented a paper at last year's Graduate Symposium.

Cotter has submitted two papers to be published this semester for the Fairmount Folio and the Graduate Symposium, as well.

But the WSU religion, history and art history departments don't offer graduate teaching opportunities.

"Because I am unable to gain any teaching experience at WSU," Cotter said, "(these) experiences will let the Ph.D. program to which I apply know that I am a serious student."

She is studying Latin and Hebrew to read ancient texts, and she takes French to read academic books and speak conversationally. She plans to study Greek and Italian in the future.

And Cotter is traveling to Rome this summer to present one of her papers, "Pilgrimage and its Effects on San Paolo Fuori Le Mura During the Middle Ages."

"This is a huge deal," she said.

"Presenting a paper at a professional conference can lead to the paper being published," Lasine said.

Cotter will have the opportunity to research the church in Rome her presentation covers, he said. And networking with scholars at the conference can lead to further presentations and publications.

Cotter is a working mother of three and a full-time student.

"It's hectic," she said, "taking care of the kids, making dinner, other household duties, and with Disney and Nickelodeon, it's never quiet."

Though finding time is a struggle, she said her professors always work with her, and her performance in class never suffers. She even brings her children to class with her on occasion.

Her daughter, Tierra, loves languages, and her oldest son, Nicholas, jokes he will be a doctor before his mom will. Cotter bought them French children's books, and she said her youngest son, Jordan, cracks up at "Little Brown Bear" in French.

Cotter is planning to attend Southern Methodist University in Dallas, but after she finishes her degree, she's not sure where she'll be.

"I definitely want to be a college professor," she said, "somewhere with nice weather."

WSU prof Craig Miner publishes book on Bleeding Kansas

Wichita State University professor Craig Miner has added to the list of his publications with the recent release of his new book, "Seeding Civil War: Kansas in the National News, 1854-1858."

The 304-page book was published in September by University Press of Kansas. Miner, who is the Willard Garvey Distinguished Professor of Business History at WSU, is well known for his books depicting Kansas history.

His works include "West of Wichita: Settling the High Plains of Kansas"; "Kansas: The History of the Sunflower State, 1854-2000"; and "Next Year Country: Dust to Dust in Western Kansas."

Miner's latest book looks in depth at the national media coverage about Bleeding Kansas during the four years following the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

During that time there was great interest in the volatile Kansas Territory as its inhabitants fought over whether it would enter the union as a free or slave state.

In the book, Miner argues that the actions in Kansas contributed more to the onset of the Civil War than previously thought.

"Seeding Civil War" is available for $34.95 at Watermark Books and major chains such as Border's and Barnes & Noble. It can also be ordered through online sites such as amazon.com or kansaspress.ku.edu/.

WSU's Gythiel has become a top theological scholar

There are many words used to describe Anthony Gythiel: scholar, teacher, mentor. And by all accounts, it seems Gythiel has earned each title.

Gythiel is a professor of history at Wichita State, where he has taught since 1971. He started in the English department, but was courted by the history department in 1992, in part because of his background in medieval studies and theology.

Gythiel's knack for history also had a bit to do with his own past. Growing up in Belgium during World War II, Gythiel saw and experienced things few people he knows today have dealt with.

In 1940, his mother was killed during the Nazi bombardment of Belgium. One of six children, and only 10 years old, Gythiel was left to help pick up the pieces and start over.

"We helped each other and survived," he said.

After the war, Gythiel stayed in Belgium and eventually went to college. He received a bachelor's in philosophy in 1953 and master's in theology in 1958. It was then that Gythiel decided to become a Catholic priest, and he was subsequently sent to work as a missionary in Zaire.

In 1963, Gythiel decided to leave Zaire, which was in the middle of a revolution. After losing everything he had there, Gythiel once again found himself starting over.

Although Gythiel went through many hardships in his young life, he said they helped make him what he is today.

"They made me more intimately aware of evil in the world," he said.

That, he said, is something he hopes he won't see repeated again in his lifetime.

After Zaire, Gythiel came to America, where he had received a scholarship to attend the University of Detroit. From 1966-1971, he earned a master's in English and a Ph.D. in medieval studies.

He then landed in Wichita, a city he said slowly grew on him, and became an assistant professor at WSU. During his early years at Wichita State, Gythiel worked with what he calls great teachers who inspired him to be better.

"I said to myself, 'I want to imitate them and be a good teacher,' " he said.

Gythiel has since won three teaching awards, including the John R. Barrier Distinguished Teaching Award from the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 1993. He was the first person to win the award.

Aside from teaching, Gythiel has dedicated his career to translating historical theology works by world-renowned scholars. So far he has translated 10 works and is in the middle of his eleventh.

For his efforts, Gythiel was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree by the trustees and faculty of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary in Crestwood, NY, in May.

Keith Pickus

Keith Pickus, associate provost and vice president for academic affairs and research at WSU, said the painstakingly detailed work involved in the translations requires phenomenal linguistic skills and an immense knowledge of history.

He calls Gythiel's work a great contribution to the English-speaking Orthodox world and says he has established himself as a pre-eminent theological scholar.

"I discovered (years ago) that God had given me the great gift of language, but I had never used it," said Gythiel, who is fluent in five languages and has studied 13, including some that are no longer spoken.

"So I decided to do that in his honor."

At 77, Gythiel is in phased retirement at WSU and plans to stay another two years. He still teaches half-time and said he'll continue to translate works for as long as he can.

Once retired, Gythiel plans to relax with his wife, Dana, and stay in Wichita.

Pickus said he has been blessed to be friends and colleagues with Gythiel and is constantly impressed with his contributions to Wichita State.

"He is a wonderful human being and a highly accomplished scholar," Pickus said. "He is a real Renaissance man – a true scholar's scholar."

White House internship, WSU staff highlight of senior Zimmerman's time on campus

It was just another day at the office for Wichita State University senior Tammy Zimmerman to look out the window and see President Bush taking a stroll on the White House lawn. Zimmerman, 24, completed classes in December and will graduate in May. She considers herself lucky to have served a semester-long internship at the White House in 2007, an opportunity she described as incredible.

"It was a good learning experience, and it opened my eyes. A lot of people think negatively of politics, but it put politics in more of a positive light for me," she said. "It definitely strengthened my desire to get more involved at a local level."

Zimmerman said the most memorable part of her internship was getting out of her comfort zone.

"Living in D.C. was such a different experience. Living my whole life in Kansas, it was good to see another part of the world with new people," she said.

Zimmerman began college at Bob Jones University in South Carolina, where she remained for one year. She came to WSU as a sophomore.

Zimmerman majored in history and minored in political science. She said she chose these areas of emphasis because her mother encouraged her to pursue something she enjoyed.

Aside from her internship, another highlight from her time at WSU was being under the instruction of dedicated and talented educators. History professor John Dreifort was one of her favorite teachers.

"He didn't just spill the facts. He made the class come alive," she said.

Coming to WSU from home-school, Zimmerman said she believed she had the self-discipline necessary for the level of academics.

"I had always planned on getting my degree from a good school. But, other than receiving a good education, I did not plan on anything more (i.e. extracurricular activities, the typical college life of parties)," she said.

"I liked WSU better than a larger school because I didn't feel lost in the crowd. You have more teachers that genuinely care about you and how well you do. There were a lot of opportunities and good teachers in a variety of [academic] areas, and it was close to home. It's a good school," Zimmerman said.

Among the many role models in her life, the most significant are her parents, Darrell and Barb Zimmerman, for their encouragement, President Bush for his perseverance, and Jesus Christ for giving her hope, a perspective and a deeper meaning to life.

Zimmerman works as a sales assistant at Cooper Malone McClain Inc. In the future she hopes to support politicians on an active volunteer basis.