Congratulations to our outstanding Pi Sigma Alpha Student Paper Competition winners: Andrew Wong, Garrett Ziperstein, and Riley Stanton!

Their remarkable papers have made a lasting impression on both our first and second-round scorers, earning them well-deserved prizes of $100, $75, and $50 respectively, along with exclusive Pi Sigma Alpha merchandise.

Special thanks to Professor Larry Baum, and alumni Christopher Gilkerson, Susan Munthe, and Derek Whiddon for their invaluable contributions in scoring the second round of papers and determining the winners.

Fourth-year Andrew Wong’s first place paper, titled “ET Disclosure and the International System,” was completed in the spring of 2022 for Political Science 4853H – UFO and National Security, under the instruction of Dr. Alexander Wendt. This insightful paper outlines the complex relationship between ET disclosure and the international system, arguing for the development of soft law that will evolve into a supranational institutional authority to respond to ET disclosure. Here is Wong's abstract: 

This essay outlines the complex relationship between ET disclosure and the international system. For context, ETs are extraterrestrial living entities that are capable of human-like abilities. ET disclosure is the process in which governments release information regarding the existence and/or communication with these entities to the general public in documents such as the Pentagon Report. The essay argues for the development of soft law that evolved into a supranational institutional authority to respond to ET disclosure. It is because it allows a more effective channel for UFO information discourse between states and other political actors, thereby strengthening the global identity shared among states.  While there are counter arguments pertaining to my claim, which includes the lack of enforceability for soft law in comparison to hard law and the increased difficulty for states to securitize and protect their ontological security, my argument is stronger. For instance, the first counterargument regarding the weakness of soft law in international settings is based on a false assumption that hard laws would lead to higher compliance and less instances of violations. For the second counterargument, it was based on a false association between physical security and ontological security. Unlike physical security, ontological security is a perception that does not require physical boundaries and sovereignty. Rather, it is based on whether states can perceive the existence of its identity in a globalized world. Thus, allowing the creation of a supranational community to allow sovereign states to discuss information regarding ET disclosure would not cause the states to lose their identities if they can convince themselves the longevity of their states' identity.

Fourth-year Garrett Ziperstein’s second place paper, titled “The Lasting Effects of Internment on Japanese Americans,” was crafted in the autumn of 2023 for Political Science 4940 – The Politics of Immigration, taught by Mohamed Shedeed. Ziperstein’s paper studies the effects internment camps held on Japanese Americans as well as the societal view of these citizens, addressing the question: how did this internment alter Japanese Americans social standing within the U.S. (economic prospects, educational access, and their sense of belonging)? Here is Ziperstein's abstract: 

The historical challenges faced by Japanese Americans is hardly known nor understood throughout America. Executive Order 9066 was enacted following the tragic events of Pearl Harbor, though it unfortunately led to a tragedy in its own right. Japanese Americans were forced into internment camps, which lasted throughout the United States’ involvement in World War II. These camps created stigmas against Japanese Americans, reduced their chances for economic prosperity, limited the access to education for children, and led to trauma that members of the Japanese American community continue to deal with in the present day. 

This project falls within the second option for research and will look to study the effects internment camps held on Japanese Americans as well as the societal view of these citizens. How did this internment alter Japanese Americans social standing within the U.S. (economic prospects, educational access, and their sense of belonging)?

Third-year Riley Stanton’s third place paper, titled “Street Children: The Issue and Solutions,” was written in the autumn of 2024 for Political Science 4242 - Incomplete Democracies: The (Un)Rule of Law in Latin America, instructed by Dr. Sara Schatz. Stanton’s paper details contributing causes that lead children in Latin America to turn towards street life, and the effects of street life on children. Additionally, Stanton proposes a range of potentially successful strategies for combatting the problem in Latin America, both those at an individual and societal level. Here is Stanton's abstract: 

This eleven-page submission begins by explaining the complexity of street children in Latin America, describing that potential solutions exist and are a necessity to pursue. From this, the paper details contributing causes that lead children to turn towards street life, and the effects of street life on children. The latter portion of the paper details potentially successful strategies for combatting the problem in Latin America, both those at an individual and societal level. In the conclusion, the paper discusses the benefits of potential strategies and emphasizes that collaboration between programs is a necessary feature.