Hillsdale County’s 2B District Court. Catherine Maxwell | Collegian
Students will have the opportunity to research local history and turn their research into publicly available exhibits through a new course offered this semester.
The one-credit course, taught by Assistant Professor of Modern European History Anna Vincenzi, Professor of History Harold Stewart, and Assistant Professor of Art Christina Chakalova, will meet on Tuesdays for the first three weeks to teach an overview of Michigan history, American art history, and museum writing. After that, students will work on their projects while regularly meeting with professors and the Historical Society instead of attending a traditional class.
“Students will be offered the option to work on a variety of museum exhibit type projects, working closely with the Hillsdale Historical Society,” Vincenzi said. “For example, organizing an exhibition space at Will Carleton Poorhouse or a guided visit at Stock’s Mill. They will also have the option to produce a podcast guiding visitors through a driving-tour of Hillsdale.”
According to Stewart, possible projects include researching, creating historical signs, curating displays for the Hillsdale County Historical Society, and interviewing elderly residents about their memories and the heritage of the town.
“The Hillsdale Historical Society has put a lot of effort into identifying a range of possible projects, drawing on a wide variety of skill sets,” Stewart said.
Another possible project is a podcast that will guide people through a walking or driving tour around Hillsdale.
“Students would identify a dozen or so places significant to the community’s history, research those sites, write appropriate scripts, and then record them,” Stewart said.
Vincenzi said she hopes both local schools and visitors will use the podcast to learn about Hillsdale’s history.
“I wanted to get to know the place where I live and hopefully contribute something to it by creating something that can be shared with the Hillsdale community,” she said.
Senior Emily Schutte said she joined the class because of her love for storytelling and interest in podcasting.
“I’m looking forward to learning more about Hillsdale,” Schutte said. “This will be my fourth year and I’m definitely guilty of not learning about Hillsdale’s history. I’m also excited to get more experience with audio editing and storytelling.”
