Gamification and the Civil War's 154th Regiment

History Major Daniel Leopold on His Internship at the Campus Archive

After visiting places like Gettysburg and studying it for most of my academic life, the Civil War has proven to be both a provocative and extremely interesting topic for me. There are so many layers to uncover about each battle, political move, and social change that sprang from the time period that learning about it now is just as much about preserving history as it is about dissecting the far-reaching influence it has on current issues.

That’s why I was ecstatic to find out I would be able to participate in an internship at St. Bonaventure dedicated to a collection based on the Civil War. The collection focuses on the 154th New York Volunteer Infantry, a regiment of the Union army that drafted in Cattaraugus County. The 154th fought in critical battles during the Civil War, including Chancellorsville and Gettysburg.

The compilers of the collection, Mark H. Dunkelman and Michael J. Winey, contacted over 1,200 of the descendants members of the 154th to acquire all the records, which were donated to Bonaventure after Winey’s passing.

The internship has let me look through records assembled for soldiers of the regiment, which includes personal letters, diary entries, and photographs of the soldiers and their personal effects. These files provide a unique and personal way of observing a war that effected both individuals and society. The letters written by soldiers served as communication between them and loved ones, and now serve us as introspective windows to the complexities of the Civil War.

After only a month spent with the collection, I’m already impressed at how much I’ve learned about one of America’s watershed topics. I can’t wait to discover more and more as I keep rummaging through records and connecting personal stories with the immense political and social changes that stemmed from the Civil War.

History Major Dan Leopold Reports on His Visit to the Theodore Roosevelt Inauguration National Historic Site

Over fall break, while at home in Buffalo, I was able to visit one of the most impressive, yet overlooked sites in the area’s local history. The Theodore Roosevelt Inauguration National Historic Site is tucked right into one of Buffalo’s busiest and most historic streets, Delaware Avenue, but many people, including myself, have ignored the building on their commute to and from downtown. Because of its immense relevance to American history, however, I decided I had to stop in.

The outside of the building is ornate and well designed, yet a guide later pointed out that publications like The New York Times reported the mansion as “modest” when covering Roosevelt’s inauguration. Keeping in mind that the stretch of Delaware where the museum was located is nicknamed “Millionaire’s Row”, the house certainly paled in size to the other mansions surrounding it. While this certainly contributed to it being overlooked, it did not diminish the history contained on the site.

The museum begins with a room dedicated to exploring the Pan-American Exposition held in Buffalo in 1901, where President McKinley was shot. Buffalo was one of the largest cities in the United States at the time, and millions of people flocked to see this version of the World’s Fair, where exotic foods and new technology were flaunted. This was the first occasion a city used electric lighting to illuminate its streets, and people were so impressed that Buffalo was given the moniker “The City of Light” after Paris. This begin room in the museum captures the whimsy and innovation of the Exposition, offering exhibits on new technology of the time and the type of cultural items on display.

Photos from the 2014 Arts & Sciences Expo

Several of our history majors presented their research at this year's Arts & Sciences Exposition. They included Daniel Leopold, Nick Siciliano, Matt Zaros, Max Schneller, and Dr. Payne's entire digital history class. Congratulations everyone!

Discovering Buffalo with Daniel Leopold

As a Buffalo native, my pride for the once prominent city has become a large part of my life since moving away to Bonaventure. What was once America’s 8th largest city is still home to a plethora of artistic venues, beautiful architecture, and incredible museums. One such museum, the Mark Twain room, is housed within the walls of the Central Buffalo Library, located downtown.

The Southern author spent eighteen months in the city, writing for local newspapers while working on fiction pieces on the side. Many of the artifacts of his life are on display in the room, including a restored mantelpiece of his mansion on Delaware Avenue and a steamer trunk that held forgotten Twain documents.

The centerpiece of the museum are leaves from the original handwritten manuscript of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, one of Mark Twain’s most well-known works. Filed around this unique piece of history are English and foreign language editions of the novel. Norman Rockwell prints for the 1940 edition of Huckleberry Finn hang on the wall adjacent to bookshelves containing illustrations and other works relevant to Twain.

While small, the Mark Twain room captures a great deal of Buffalo history. Admission is free, and more information about the museum and library can be found at http://www.buffalolib.org/content/grosvenor/mark-twain-room. The room is truly a mark of the resurgence of Buffalo, connecting the vibrant downtown area and central library with a remarkable segment of local history. It is definitely worth a visit.

Studying European History with Dr. Horowitz (Daniel Leopold)

After studying history throughout my life in the United States, I’ve come to realize that our approach to history is America-centric. Even when studying World or European history, all events are filtered through an American lens, almost as if the world functions as a reaction to what we do. Such a geopolitical vacuum does not exist. The beauty of one class in particular that I am taking, “Europe Since 1815”, is that it completely challenges this misconception. Focusing on the dynamic events in history during that specific time and space period, its lens is not tinted with red, white, and blue, but rather targets what the title of the course promises.

Around Town: Dan's Stories for the BV

           

St. Bonaventure, to the community of both Olean and Allegany, is an integral part of both their commerce and notoriety. Students shopping for groceries in town pump money into the local economy. Students getting good grades place Bonaventure, as well as the surrounding area, on the national map. You can’t go more than a block down the main streets without seeing some sort of Bonaventure poster or sign. The vitality this university brings stretches far beyond the campus.

            So what, then, would be a good way to help the relationship between Bonaventure and the local community? That’s where my weekly newspaper articles come in. My job requires that I go out into the local community and see what fun and different experiences they offer students. Whether it is flying high above the tress in Ellicottville’s “Sky High Ropes Course” or getting a food-induced coma at Portville’s “Sprague’s Maple Farms”, I have gone to an array of places less than 30 minutes away from St. Bonaventure.

            Next time you are sitting in your bed wondering what the heck to do on a Saturday afternoon, look no further than the last issue of the BonaVenture newspaper. Grab some of your friends, have a good time, and, most of all, promote the Bonaventure image while giving back to the community!

Introducing Our Incoming History Majors, Part III: Daniel Leopold

The intention of college, or at least its perception, has become misconstrued. When I was in high school, the only stories I was taught concerning college involved crazy parties, promiscuity, and plenty of illicit substances. I had not once heard about amazing professors or interesting classes. Not taking these stories to heart, I came to college prepared to learn, and learn a lot. That wasn’t only my expectation, but my dream. Learning has become a huge part of my plans for the future, even recreationally speaking. And not just for practical endeavors either, but both to improve myself and to help those around me.

Conditionally, this is why I believe Aristotle is the seminal figure of history. Aside from the fact that he wasn’t the greatest mathematician (isn’t that why we all chose history?), his scope of knowledge was unparalleled. He could speak with the greatest contemporary thinkers on any subject, be it discourse, cosmology, or physics. And what I think college should be is to create well-rounded individuals in the mold of Aristotle.

But college admittedly isn’t all about learning. And experiencing new things and meeting new people isn’t just personal dogma, it is my job. As per my description provided by my boss at The Bona Venture, I have to go out into the area surrounding St. Bonaventure and experience a different event or place, and write a story about it. This process essentially advertises these experiences to students and makes Bonaventure more appealing to potential high school seniors.

And for those two reasons, I chose Bonaventure. It has a multi-layered appeal to those on the quest for knowledge who can afford to take a break and have fun.