Category Archives: Student Spotlight

We’re highlighting our courses on the history of women and gender for Women’s History Month! Women and Gender during the Cold War, taught by Professor Katherine Pence, considers the way the politics of bipolar conflict between capitalism and communism affected women and ideologies of gender both in global affairs and everyday life. Students conduct research on relevant topics of their choosing, focusing on methodologies of gender history. Learn about their research at Baruch’s Reseach and Creative Inquiry Expo in May!

Truck supervisor Bernard Levey with his family in front of their home in the new Levittown, Pa., housing development in 1950. (Bernard Hoffman/Time Life/Getty Images)

For Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating the great work of students in our courses focused on the history of women and gender! In Women and Gender in the Middle East, students work within the Wiki Education platform to improve Wikipedia articles on relevant topics. Today’s student profile is history major William Alex Wong, who is expanding an article on Women in Palestine.

Hughes, William, Cartographer, Edward Robinson, John Lewis Burckhardt, Pierre Jacotin, Society For The Diffusion Of Useful Knowledge, and Charles Knight & Co. Palestine, with the Hauran, and the adjacent districts. [London: Charles Knight & Co, 1843] Map. https://www.loc.gov/item/2014592610/.

Hello, my name is William Alex Wong, I am an upper senior undergraduate history student at Baruch College. I became interested in studying the history of women and gender in the Middle East through my current course on the subject, ‘Women and Gender in the Middle East.’ My broader interest in history spans across different regions, including Europe, Southeast Asia, the United States, Central and South America, and more recently, Asia. I’m eager to explore how gender plays a role in shaping societies and historical narratives, especially in the context of the Middle East.

I became a history major because I wanted to better understand how historical events and societal structures shape the world we live in today. History allows me to explore diverse cultures, political dynamics, and human experiences. While my coursework has ranged across different regions like Europe, Southeast Asia, and the United States, I’ve developed a particular interest in how gender intersects with historical narratives—especially in the Middle East. This major provides the tools to dive deeper into how women’s roles have evolved across time and contexts.

I am working on the Wikipedia article titled, ‘Women in Palestine.’ My focus is on Palestinian women during the Ottoman period, before Jewish immigration in the 1880s. This section will explore their roles in social, political, and cultural life, offering important context for understanding Palestine before significant political changes took place.

The article currently doesn’t include a section on Palestinian women before the 1880s. According to the Wiki Options page provided by Professor Griffith, this section needs to be added. I’m working on creating this section, which will focus on their roles during the Ottoman era. This addition will help fill a major gap and provide a more complete understanding of the history of Palestinian women.

In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re recognizing the excellent work history students are doing this spring in Professor Zoe Griffith’s course Women and Gender in the Middle East. In this course, students edit Wikipedia pages on relevant topics through the Wikiedu platform. We’re starting off with a profile of Amalia Parrish, who is focusing on the Wikipedia article on Islamic clothing.

Hi! My name is Amalia Parrish and I’m a history major at Baruch College! I’m currently a junior continuing the lineage of Baruch Bearcats! So maybe you could say going to Baruch is in my genes! 🙂

I became a history major because I have always been fascinated by how civilization has changed over thousands of years! Customs, foods, religions, superstitions, architecture, and laws in various civilizations continue to amaze and inspire me to dig in and learn more! Studying history offers surprises, new perspectives, and it helps challenge the assumptions we naturally make as we try to understand our world. I have been shocked more times than I could count in challenging my assumptions!

The topic of my Wikipedia article is Islamic Clothing. This page generally lacks credible sources. The information is interesting, but oftentimes, it reflects a bias toward one school of thought. I’m looking to corroborate ideas with credible sources and eliminate bias as best as possible. Millions turn to Wikipedia, assuming it is credible. It’s up to us Wikipedians to ensure that it is!