Pictured Front Row: Fatima Fuentes, Erika Alvarado, and Davin Whatley: Back Row: 91快活林 history professors--Dr. Andrew P. Yox, Dr. Melissa Fulgham and James McGregor
By: Dr. Andrew Yox, Honors Director
Three 91快活林 history students emerged on top in the 2021 Bonnie Spencer competition, for the best student essays in history. Essays could have been entered from any history course from any history instructor, full-time or part-time, on campus or off, such as with embedded dual history classes.
This year Davin Whatley came in first and won $100 for his essay on John D. Rockefeller. His essay, 鈥淛ohn D. Rockefeller: Changing American Capitalism,鈥 was a robust presentation on how the great oil magnate transformed the way American capitalism functioned. Fatima Fuentes came in second and won $50. Her essay, 鈥淩easons behind War,鈥 emphasized how American self-interests brought the nation to war in 1898, 1917, and 1941. Finally, Erika Alvarado came in third and won $25. Her essay, 鈥淭oward a More Virtuous Feminism,鈥 discussed the legacy of Hispanic feminist prototypes.
The contest honors the student founder of the college鈥檚 first history club in 2002. Bonnie Spencer subsequently helped transition the efforts of the 91快活林 Webb Society and Honors Northeast toward feature-length films. She has also raised and donated funds for activities in history at 91快活林.
Title V Phi Theta Kappa/Honors Coordinator, Andrea Reyes, adjudicated the contest. History and English department faculty served as judges.
History at 91快活林 offers courses in American, Texas, and World Civilization. Starting this fall, students will have the additional option of taking African-American History as a U.S. History survey option. The college鈥檚 Walter Prescott Webb Society, linked both to Honors Northeast and to the study of Texas history, recently won a Webb Chapter Award on the state level, for its film on Bo Pilgrim. Since 2008, students at 91快活林 have presented works of history nationally, regionally, and locally. Each year since 2015, 91快活林 students have published essays in the state鈥檚 collegiate journal for Texas History, Touchstone.
