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The York Journal of History & Politics offers students venue to share research, opinions
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A group of York College of Pennsylvania students is preparing to launch The York Journal of History & Politics in February.
The hope is to create an avenue for open discussion, says Andrey Romanov, a junior International Relations major and the Journal’s editor-at-large.
“We’ve lost that,” Andrey says. “We’re unable to look at arguments, especially those we disagree with, without running into biases and prejudices, and we stop right there.”
An outlet for students
The Journal’s mission is to “create a venue for the students to share and exchange ideas, their original research and work, and encourage and foster student inquiry.”
Before the Journal’s conception, the only place for students within the Department of History and Political Science to showcase their work was Past and Present, a magazine that collected a select number of senior theses, says Bryan Curtin, senior Political Science major and the Journal’s editor-in-chief.
“We wanted to have a journal that allowed other students in the department to have the opportunity to publish their work in a medium that could be viewed by peers and professors,” Bryan says.
Creating an avenue for open discussion
The Journal, sponsored by the York College History and Political Science Student Union, will be student-run and showcase research papers and original op-ed works from students within the History and Political Science department.
Bryan says each article must be fewer than 1,000 words and fall under one of five sections:
- American and World History
- Domestic Affairs and Politics
- Economic and Financial Analysis
- Foreign Relations and National Security
- Geopolitical & Spatial Analysis
The Journal also will offer positions for students to get involved with behind-the-scenes aspects of the publication.
The editorial board, which will consist of five section editors along with the editor-at-large, oversees submissions, says Bryan, while an executive board (editor-in-chief, secretary and treasurer) will supervise operations, handle fundraising, reach out to students and professors and more.
Adding valuable experience
In addition to sparking conversation and debate with professors and fellow students, the Journal will benefit York College students in the long term.
Whether they write for the Journal and become published authors or join the Journal’s staff, the experience will add depth to resumes and build valuable skill sets.
“It helps to work in an environment where you’re developing critical writing skills and analytical skills,” Bryan says. “Especially if you want to break into the academic side of political science, you’re going to be writing papers for academic journals, so having that background will go a long way.”