Anthropology Graduate Student Speaks on Civil War Reenacting

Savanna Hughes, a graduate student in Anthropology at George Mason, was the guest speaker at the Fort Valley Library Lyceum on Saturday January 12, 2013. Fort Valley is located in Shenandoah County. Savanna presented some aspects of her current research on Civil War reenactors to a crowded room.  She discussed her work on how reenactors define “authenticity” and what it means to be “authentic”, why they choose to reenact, and some of the ways the public interprets reenacting. Savanna has been conducting research on this topic for her M.A. thesis, including attending various Civil War battle reenactments in Virginia and on the east coast. The coordinator of the Lyceum is hopeful that more SOAN students will present in the future. (If you are interested, please contact Cortney at chughe13@gmu.edu.)