Eastern Student Sabreena Croteau of North Kingstown Gives Oral Presentation at CREATE Conference

2016 May 5

More than 250 talented students at Eastern Connecticut State University presented research and creative work at the university's second annual CREATE conference this past April. CREATE stands for Celebrating Research Excellence and Artistic Talent at Eastern, and is the university's premier, academic year-end showcase. At the culminating event, students of all majors presented professional posters, live music, dance performances, artwork, photography, documentaries and panel discussions.

Sabreena Croteau '16 of North Kingstown, who majors in Political Science and History, gave an oral presentation at the event. Her oral presentation was titled "Influence and Interference: U.S. Foreign Policy Towards Saudi Arabia 1956-1971."

"Despite a gradual increase in American involvement in the Middle East since the end of World War II, the region has not enjoyed any more stability than it did sixty years ago," said Croteau. "Continued U.S. interest in the region is due in large part to huge oil deposits in the Persian Gulf. Despite the importance of oil, the alliance between the U.S. and oil-rich Saudi Arabia remains on the periphery of most examinations of U.S.-Middle East foreign policy. This presentation examines the development of that alliance as the U.S. began to increase its presence in the region after the 1956 Suez Crisis until it became the premier Western power in the Gulf in 1971 when the British withdrew completely. The alliance between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia grew largely out of the U.S. need to protect Saudi oil and maintain Western access to it, despite disagreements and problems existing between the two governments. Government documents from the time reveal the tensions between pragmatism and idealism in U.S. policy towards Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile newspaper sources reveal an attempt to persuade the public to forgive the sacrifice of ideals under the guise that it is simply due to the exotic nature of that region. This paper argues that the need to maintain a strong alliance with Saudi Arabia due to its oil assets is ultimately detrimental to other U.S. foreign policy in the region and the ability of the U.S. to successfully uphold its image as champion of the free world and premier defender of human rights."

Remarking on the variety of presentations, Professor Dickson Cunningham, conference co-chair, said, "CREATE encapsulates the essence of the liberal arts in one afternoon. It is an intellectual smorgasbord."

Speaking to the value of CREATE, Eastern President Elsa Nunez said, "It takes a very strong and dedicated student to produce this quality of work, and it's important for other students to see this output." Praising the faculty, she added, "It takes a committed and skillful mentor to guide students to the work that is on display. Mentorship is such an integral part of undergraduate research."

During the one-day conference, the Student Center crawled with artistic and scholarly activity. Students in professional attire addressed their peers, faculty and family. In the cafe, ensembles performed; in the theatre, student-produced documentaries were shown; in the Betty R. Tipton Room, aisles of posters depicting scientific research were displayed; across the hall, a gallery-worth of paintings lined the walls; and on the ground floor, panel discussions and oral presentations about the humanities took place.