Herodotus Journal
Herodotus is a student-run publication founded in 1986 by the History Undergraduate Student Association (HUGSA).
It bears the name of Herodotus of Halicarnassus, the 5th century BCE historian of the Greco-Persian Wars. His Histories, which preserve the memory of the battles of Marathon and Thermopylae, were written so that “human achievements may not become forgotten in time, and great and marvelous deeds . . . may not be without their glory.” Likewise, this journal is dedicated to preserving and showcasing the best undergraduate work completed at Stanford Department of History. Contributions are selected through a rigorous, supportive peer review process.
Editor-in-Chief
Lauren Selden
herodotusjournal [at] gmail.com
Lauren is a senior majoring in History with a focus on Europe pre-1700 and minoring in Classics. She is particularly interested in the histories of pilgrimage and of early modern English religion. At Stanford, she is a resident assistant and a History Department peer advisor. In her free time, she enjoys going on walking pilgrimages, baking, and re-reading her favorite novels.
Managing Editor
Baird Johnson
As a junior history major, Baird is immersed in the Atlantic World of the late eighteenth century - specifically the political and philosophical origins of American Democracy. He hails from New York City, is a member of Stanford in Government and the Stanford Running Club, has traveled to all fifty states and hopes to visit all sixty-three National Parks.
Section Editor
Jessica Femenias
Jessica Femenias (she/her) is a senior studying history and philosophy, with interest in cultural theory, cultural/intellectual history, and Latin America. She is preparing an honors thesis for the history department on syncretic Caribbean religions of the 18th and 19th centuries.
Section Editor
Grace Sperber
Grace is a history and chemistry double major whose jam is medieval and intellectual history. You can find her making Celtic knots from 6th century illuminated manuscripts out of twizzlers, reading about church controversies or studying immigration records. Her current research focuses on the material meaning of the constitution in the 1780s and the insight it provides into an alternative heritage of American fundamental law. She also works with expressing history in an interactive and digital medium through GIS mapping and data-based software. When not doing history, Grace is on the Stanford Kendo team.
Staff Editor
Mike Carragee
Mike Carragee is a Senior studying History and International Relations, particularly the History of US foreign policy. Outside of academics, he spends a lot of time in the water: swimming, playing water polo, and occasionally sailing or scuba diving. On land, he spends entirely too much time on his Xbox. He finds writing in the third person deeply alienating.
Staff Editor
Angela Zhang
Angela is a senior double majoring in art history and philosophy with a focus on mid to late imperial China. More specifically, she is interested in the art historical connection between Chan Buddhist painting and literati painting. Her honors thesis will examine the Xiao-xiang landscape paintings by two monk artists from the Southern Song dynasty, Muqi Fachang and Yujian Ruofen.
Staff Editor
Krista Arenaodu
A junior majoring in economics with a minor in history, Krista is broadly interested in development economics and the history of diaspora and immigration in East Asia. Where the two disciplines intersect is where she's working towards projects in which cultural patterns are analyzed through the behavioral and quantitative lens of economics. Outside of academics, Krista can be found de-stressing to cat videos, attempting Alanis Morissette jams on the guitar, or straying off into nature with her camera.
Staff Editor
Ryan Beyer
Ryan is a sophomore majoring in political science and minoring in history. He enjoys taking classes which engage in international histories and recommends ‘History of the International System’ to all Stanford students. His favourite topic to explore is communist history and he has conducted research on the Stalin regime and the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. He is originally from California, but grew up in London and Singapore. In his free time, he likes to play soccer, watch baseball, and plan road trips to the national parks.
Staff Editor
Nilou Davis
Nilou is a sophomore majoring in History and Political Science. She has a particular interest in the intersection between gender and labor histories in colonial and post-colonial states. Outside of class, you can find her going to thrift stores around the Bay, reading, and trying out new vegetarian food.
Staff Editor
Novia Liu
Novia is a sophomore history major concentrating on the American Founding Era. She hopes to understand how different conceptions of government shaped the creation and early interpretation of the United States Constitution. In between taking classes and reading the ratification debates, Novia rides for the Stanford Equestrian Team. Back home near Seattle, she can be found cooking up new recipes for family and friends.
Staff Editor
Paloma Ronis von Helms
Paloma is a sophomore from San Diego, CA studying International Relations and History. She is particularly interested in Latin American history, revolutionary history, U.S. foreign policy history, and immigration studies. She is an Executive Chair for Stanford Women in Politics (SWIP) as well as Stanford ACLU, and she also edits for Stanford's Undergraduate Law Review and Embodied: the Stanford Undergraduate Journal of Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. In her free time, she enjoys reading, curating playlists, drinking CoHo coffee, and exploring the Bay Area.
