History major puts his mark in IUSB history, wins library prize

By: Kayla Smith
Staff Writer
@KaylaSmith721

Another semester, another lengthy research project. Turn that research into an award with the library prize for undergraduate research and earn a monetary prize of $500.
The library prize is for a student who excels in undergraduate research, and focuses on the research process and application of information literacy. It utilizes a student’s research that begins in a class and essentially becomes a multi-semester project.
In other words, the library prize rewards students who are utilizing their resources on campus and outside of the classroom. Undergraduate student Jason Rose did just this, and was the 2015 recipient of IU South Bend’s Library Prize for Undergraduate Research.
Rose is a history major with a double minor in european studies and women & gender Studies, and serves as a peer mentor, a member of the history club, and the editor for the Undergraduate Research Journal of History.
With a passion for history, Rose’s research won’t end upon graduation, as he recently accepted the offer to attend Ball State University for graduate studies. Rose wishes to continue study of the progressive era and look at U.S. history from an international lens.
Research began while Rose was enrolled in Dr. Lisa Zwicker’s 20^th Century Europe history class, where he began his paper titled, “The Politics of Persuasion: The ‘NO HYMN of hate’ of the CPI and the Four Minute Men during the First World War.”
Following this class, his research led to the need for further sources, as well as the passion to search for it, and to better his research skills. With the help of smart grants, Rose was able to expand his research at not only at the Franklin D. Schurz Library, but at Notre Dame and Chicago as well.
With a lengthy title, Rose explained the focus in his paper to be about propaganda and the Minute Men. A lot of courses will touch on the ideas of propaganda and what they were used for, Rose said, “you will see the war-time posters, but I can look at actual documents and look at literature. I found some speeches, letters from the Minute Men.”
Rose continued his research on the topic of propaganda and Minute Men. “It was something that I always had an interest in and then noticed these stump speeches popping up, Rose said. “They would go in-between movies and give stump speeches.”
Pursuing his research over multiple semesters helped Rose to create not only a sophisticated writing sample, but to utilize his resources here at IUSB. He stressed the importance of research and said, “You will need to learn how to research. Students need to do this early.” With the assistance of Dr. Zwicker and Librarian Alison Stankrauff, he was able to receive guidance from faculty members.
The library is a key tool for any research, but using your librarians as a resource is vital as well. The library website lists a link where students can chat with a librarian or set up a time to have a research consultation. “If you can’t find research within 10 minutes, go for it,” said Rose of librarian assistance.
Students should make the best of the resources they have on campus, and apply for the library prize. Rose said, “If you already have the research, and you worked hard, why not?”