Reflecting on the Semester

    I had a great experience in our course this semester. Not only was I able to contribute towards a meaningful community project, I was also able to get a glimpse into the kinds of research that goes into historic preservation. Coming into the semester I was nervous about the kind of work I would be asked to complete, but I was thankful that we were not forced into anything that we were not comfortable with. Watching through some of the interviews that we conducted, a part of me wishes I could have worked through my anxiety and led one myself. Though, I still got a portion of the experience by working on one of the profiles. The Saratoga St house research was a fulfilling project, not only was I able to learn about the lives of Poppleton residents throughout the early twentieth century, I'm able to share that with the displaced residents who might be interested to know more about their old homes. I'm also thankful for the skills I've gained, I think they will be useful for the kind of work I hope to do in the future. 

    I've taken public history courses before, but this was my first experience in the field on a public facing project. One thing that I will takeaway from this course is how pervasive the trauma is in a community like this that has gone through so much. My public history training up until this point attempted to prepare me for this fact, but it is tough to not be affected by it. Our projects goals were not inherently negative, but the trauma continued to show up. This was  evident in two of the most powerful interviews we conducted, both Jamaal and Damon revealed how devastating this development has been to the residents of Poppleton.

    I'm happy to help with the community event in any way that I can. I imagine that much like the community feedback meeting we had earlier in the semester I will help with setup, welcoming the residents as they arrive, and cleaning up after the event. I also hope to be able to offer my research to any of the displaced Saratoga residents who are curious to learn more about their old homes. I also hope to provide our guests with insights while we are on the walking tour. I plan to review the storymap the night before to refresh my memory on the information.