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JACKSON, Tenn. — May 2, 2002 — 51����’s Department of History and the Rutledge Honorary History Club held their annual banquet at the end of April. The faculty of the history department, along with members of the Rutledge Honorary History Club and Union’s Delta Psi Chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, an International Honor Society in History, enjoyed an evening of history discussion and the presentation of awards.

The guest speaker, Ann Livingston, assistant professor of political science at Union, presented the challenge “Peace Must Begin With Me.” Livingston spoke about the urgent need for peace in a world where the goals of power and dominance continue to cause chaos and wars.

“Deciding that you will be responsible for promoting peace is a difficult decision,” Livingston conceded. “It requires self-sacrifice and commitment, but as citizens of a country possessing so much wealth, we are accountable to the rest of the world who have so little. The bottom line is really how much we are willing to sacrifice.”

When asked by a member of the audience what the local community could do to help, Livingston had two suggestions. The first was to volunteer in local organizations such as soup kitchens or after school tutoring programs. The second recommendation was what Livingston called “her private crusade of the moment” – water conservation. As the world deals with a steadily decreasing water supply, battles over water are becoming a major contributing factor to current conflicts.

Brenda Alexander, associate professor of history at Union, described Livingston’s speech as “excellent and thought provoking. The small community at Union can contribute so much to our larger Jackson community.”

Stephen Carls, department chair and university professor of history, concluded the evening by presenting awards to outstanding graduating seniors and students who have achieved excellence in the fields of history and political science.

The rewards and their recipients are as follows:

Phi Alpha Theta Scholarship Pin – Jocelyn Vaughn
John W. Burgess Award – Tammi Gauldin
History Major Award – Mary Beth Haltom
Political Science Major Award – Jeffrey Edwards
History Minor Award – Daniel Davis
Political Science Minor Award – Sara Jackson