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Guild Paper Presented By Christina Yuan, Courtesy of Kent News

Every year, several Kent students further explore their academic interests by developing an extensively researched paper on a specific topic and presenting it to the Guild. Most recently, Shaw Bridges ’11 presented his Guild paper titled, “The Nemesis of Neglect: A Study of the Media Coverage Sensationalizing the 1888 Whitechapel Murderer, and its Subsequent Social Implications on Victorian London Society.” Bridges discusses the effect that the media coverage of a series of five murders (commonly known as Jack the Ripper Murders) had on the social conditions of London. Numerous news media of the day used these ghastly murders to pressure the English government for social reform. Bridges' paper illustrates how the media used the shock of the murders to bring about change.

Long interested in the history of England, Bridges wanted to choose a topic that was captivating but at the same time informative. He chose to write about Jack the Ripper and the social conditions of London because the topic is engaging and has many roots in the history of London. He learned about this set of murders mainly through his own research and through his previous history courses, such as Modern European History and United States History, but also because so many notable academics, including George Bernard Shaw, have commented on these murders. One book that Bridges says has significantly influenced him was The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. Devoted to this project, Bridges worked on researching his topic every other day in the summer at his public library and worked once a week in the fall to tie it all together. Bridges notes that he received a lot of support from his friends, family, and his faculty advisor, Mr. Ober. 

Presenting a Guild paper is one of the best ways to illustrate one’s academic abilities. In addition to being academically challenging, it is also a great way to share one’s curiosity with the community. Bridges remarks that if “you plan to do a Guild paper, you should begin doing research over the summer or over break because the process is a huge time commitment.” He also notes that the experience was “extremely satisfying” and encourages other Kent students to present at least one Guild paper during their time at Kent.