What Great Minds Can Do: Andrew Kerrigan
Andrew Kerrigan '19 majored in both History and Political Science and is currently part of Seton Hall's dual-degree program which gives students the ability to obtain both a B.A. and M.A. in five years. He also participated in the Honors Program and played for the Club Soccer team here at Seton Hall. Andrew has completed two internships, one with his state Representative and another with his Congressman. He is looking forward to possibly working in politics or in a government agency after graduation. He's also a huge film buff and is using his senior honors project as an opportunity to bring together his interests in a study of Cold War Film.
Could you describe your senior Honors project?
My project focuses on popular film during the Cold War. I'm interested in the ways
film evolved during this period, especially in the ways it portrays war. I looked
at not just the ground wars in Korea and Vietnam, but also the depictions of nuclear
war in American culture. I found that over time, filmmakers were more willing to discuss
the controversial topics and the realities of the Cold War. For example, right after
the atomic bomb was dropped in Japan, it was almost a taboo subject for filmmakers.
They addressed nuclear fears indirectly through science fiction films like in "The
Day the Earth Stood Still" which serves as an allegory for the threat of nuclear war
between the United States and the Soviet Union. After the Cuban Missile Crisis filmmakers
started to address it more directly, like in "Dr. Strangelove" and "Fail-Safe." But
then it once again became more of a taboo subject at the start of the Vietnam War
as post-apocalyptic films became a new way for filmmakers to address it indirectly.
For example, in movies like "Planet of the Apes," the film references some past nuclear
war. It's interesting to trace the evolution of nuclear concerns through an aspect
of popular culture.
What kinds of sources did you find during your research?
I read analysis of films during this period and used that to highlight the most important
films of the time. As far as primary research, I looked at public opinions and reviews
of film critics that are reacting to the movies when they debuted. I also watched
the films on my own, using what I've learned about this period through classes to
draw my own conclusions. It's mostly a process of finding films that were singled
out as impactful. In order to trace the evolution, it's important to take into account
how people felt about the controversial topics these films were addressing. Sometimes
these films weren't as popular at the time. For instance, "Dr. Strangelove" is adored
by critics now, but when it came out the reaction of critics was more hesitant to
the idea of making light of a controversial issue. This relationship between the Cold
War and audiences continued into later films as well. For example, movies like "Rocky
IV" and "Rambo II" played on the idea of American patriotism and created a sense of
retroactive victories over communism. At the same time, that doesn't mean that films
were completely ignorant to political issues following the Vietnam War as the 1980s
included films like "Platoon" and "Full Metal Jacket," which tackled the morality
of the Vietnam War head on and really examined America's role.
Was anything about your research surprising?
Definitely. The Korean War was a part of the Cold War that I didn't even really think
about discussing when I started. It's been referred to as the Forgotten War because
Vietnam was so influential later on. Even in Hollywood that is the case. There were
films coming out during the war that depicted it in a realistic and genuine way, but
when the war ended inconclusively for America, it became a topic that filmmakers were
hesitant to address. Many were resistant to portrayals of the Korean War because it
couldn't show a clear American victory, as popular World War II movies were able to
do. A lot of World War II films were also able to possess a simple good versus evil
dynamic. Addressing Korea, and especially Vietnam, was a lot more complicated.
What has been your favorite history course so far? Favorite non-history course?
I really enjoyed Dr. Fieldston's "History of New York City" because it was fascinating
to see how history affected one specific location, especially one so close to home.
As far as a non-history course, I've loved my political science courses. In a course
about U.S. Foreign Policy, I got to see how history and political science really affect
each other. The Cold War is a perfect joining of my two interests, because foreign
policy was such an integral part of the history of that period.
Career Highlights:
- University Honors Program
- Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society
- Member, History Club
- Member, Club Soccer team
- Intern, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Aaron Kaufer's District Office
- Intern, U.S. House of Representatives, Lou Barletta's District Office