The Cal State San Bernardino student-run journal, History in the Making: A Journal of History, continued to earn national recognition, and was awarded  third prize in the 2021 Gerald D. Nash History Graduate Journal competition, given by the Phi Alpha Theta National History Honor Society.

“We appreciate the time and effort you and your students devote to producing such an outstanding historical journal,” wrote the honor society’s Jessica Magro in an email announcing the prize. “The continued high quality of your publication clearly exemplifies the dedication of your journal staff to the study of history.”

History in the Making earned the award in the honor society’s graduate print journal competition,

The award is for the 14th volume of the journal, which was published in the spring of 2021. The student-reviewed and edited journal is an annual publication of the university’s Alpha Delta Nu Chapter of the Phi Alpha Theta National History Honor Society, and is sponsored by the CSUSB Department of History. 

This also marks the fourth consecutive year that the journal was recognized by Phi Alpha Theta National History Honor Society. In 2020 and 2019, it was awarded first prize, which followed the 2018 third prize in the honor society’s graduate print journal national competition – the first time the History in the Making was entered in that category. 

“The editors and authors worked exceptionally hard to make the journal what it is,” said Jacqulyne Anton, a history graduate student who served as co-editor-in-chief with Angel Rivas. “Through open communication, compassion, and a willingness to learn, the editorial board and the authors overcame personality differences, conflicts of interest, stylistic differences, time constraints, and outside obligations.

“From the very beginning of the editorial process, it was clear that we were all working towards the same goal: making this version of the journal the best we possibly could. To me, national recognition means personal and academic validation,” Anton said. “While I still would have been proud of our work on the journal without national recognition, it signifies the academic conscientiousness of the students at CSUSB and their dedication to rigorous scholarly research and knowledge production. I am incredibly proud of the editors and authors that were involved in the making of the journal.”

“This year we had a fantastic group of editors as well as authors, and every individual put their best foot forward to make the publication a representation of our challenging endeavor,” added history graduate student Alexander Serrano, a staff/section editor and contributing author for the journal.

Prior to the 2020 and 2019 first prize and the 2018 third prize, the journal had been awarded five Gerald D. Nash History Journal Awards in the undergraduate competition (third place in 2009 and 2013, second place in 2012 and 2015, and first place in 2014).

Staff editor and history major Deborah Zuk said her work on the journal taught her “how to be a better writer by working as an editor and I hope to continue writing and/or editing after graduation. Personally, I am very proud to be a part of such an influential publication as History in the Making and I am proudly adding it to my resume.”

Contributing writer and music major Sarah Shumate said, “The opportunity to write for History in the Making was an unexpected one, but I am honored to have a part in bringing the legacies of historical figures to light, especially those from our very recent past. The national recognition that this journal has consistently achieved is a testament to the value that my fellow authors, editors, and advisors place on the quality of our work within this historical lens.”

Topics covered in the journal included research on Silk Road exchanges; Holocaust memories; women rulers of imperial China; a pictorial history of California lighthouses; in memoriam pieces on U.S.  Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis, drummer Viola Smith, chemist Mario Molina and others; a photo essay of family memories of World War II; book and film reviews on subjects ranging from World War II in China, Obeah ("witchcraft"), Latin American dance music, Mulan, the Chicago 7 and more.

Serving on the journal’s 2020-21 staff were co-editors-in-chief Angel Rivas and Anton, who also served as copy editor; section editors Brittany Mondragon and Serrano; associate editors Celeste Nunez, David Swistock, Devin Gillen (who was also photo editor), Jean Martinez, Kristina Cardinale, Megan Kyriss, Viviana Alvarez and Zuk. The journal’s faculty advisors were Tiffany Jones, professor of history, and Jeremy Murray, associate professor of history.