2014 Edition - The Gold Star Journal

Cover of the 2014 Gold Star Journal. — The 2014 Gold Star Journal

Editor-in-Chief

Ryan J. Boodee, 2014, Physics and Math Major.

Inside Cover Photograph taken off the folding of the American Flag by cadets. — Folding The American Flag, **Nick Pinelli**.

The Editors

Robert P. Keener, III, 2014, Political Science Major

Jane Ma, 2015, Biology and English Major.

To view the entire 2014 edition, click this link or the cover above.

Best Overall Paper

“From Satanic to Sublime: Marlowe’s Faustus and Milton’s Satan as Prototypes of the Romantic Hero,” Jane Ma, Class of 2015, Biology and English Major.

The concept of the romantic hero is conventionally considered a product of the Byronic era. These transgressive individuals are self-fashioning, dark and passionate, and transcend the boundaries of normal human experience. However, if we go back in time and examine earlier works of literature, such as Christopher Marlowe’s famous play Dr. Faustus, or John Milton’s Paradise Lost, we can find many elements of the modern romantic hero. This paper seeks to show that the two main characters from these two great works are in fact prototypes of the romantic hero.

Best Undergraduate Paper

“Use of Percoll Gradient for Purifying Mitochondria Preparation in Brassica Olerace with Histone H3 implications,” Sarah Katchen, Class of 2014, Biology Major.

Histone H3 has contributed to many cell processes between mitochondria and the nucleus. Researching histone H3 in the mitochondria could help us understand how eukaryotes evolved from prokaryotes. Our research could provide insight into the mechanisms that are involved in nuclear genes that encode mitochondrial proteins believed to have been exported to the nucleus from the mitochondria at one point and later gained mitochondrial targeting sequence.

Best Photograph

Nick Pinelli
Class of 2016
Political Science Major.

Folding The American Flag

Featured Papers

“Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of Victory- T.E. Lawrence and the Arab Revolt,” Robert Keener, Class of 2014, Political Science Major.

Considering the poor history for western relations with the Middle East, Thomas Edward Lawrence’s ability to help organize the Arab Revolt stands as a rare success story in the difficult dialogue between the two regions. But who exactly was T.E. Lawrence and, more importantly, how was he able to establish healthy relations and win popular support in a land about which most British knew nothing?

“Democratization and Civil-Military Relations of Estonia,” Luis Miguel Parrado, Class of 2016, Political Science Major.

History has shown that democracy has continually ebbed and flowed towards more states embracing the democratic ideals of free and fair elections and the rule of law. This paper analyzes the democratization of Estonia at the end of the Cold War. It starts by providing the historical context for the Soviet domination of this Baltic state, then considers the external and internal variables that drove the process of democratization in Estonia, concluding with considerations of the modern political institutions and current state and future prospects for the security sector of Estonia.

“The Fall of a Country: the Negative Effects of the Transition From Rhodesia to Zimbabwe,” Andrew Kersey, Class of 2016, History Major.

The paper that I wrote is on the topic of the transition from Rhodesia to Zimbabwe and the effect of that transition on the country. I focused on the problems with the land policy, the economy, the politics, and the citizen’s rights that were brought on by civil war before the transition and how these problems had a devastating effect on the, then, newly formed country of Zimbabwe.

“Deciphering the Myth, Observations on the Nature of the Legend of La Malinche,” Michael Santana, Class of 2015, History and Spanish Major.

Who is La Malinche? The enigmatic woman, who served as a translator for Hernan Cortes’ conquest of the Aztec Empire, has been widely vilified as a traitor to the indigenous people of Mexico. To others, she was considered a bridge between civilizations, and the mother of the mestizos, or people of mixed Spanish and indigenous descent. Her myth has grown, shrouding the truth behind layers of political views, nationalism, sexism, and feminism. This essay sheds light into the changing nature of the myth, and reasons as to why she remains such a controversial figure even today.