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In Winter Session II, Hidden Histories dove deep into journalistic research, uncovering topics from war crimes to grave robbing, all the while utilizing journalistic tools that immersed each student into their chosen subject.

Coach Salma Islam (along with former Coach Paula) previously taught this studio as a way to uncover histories not often taught nor talked about in society. “We wanted the students to think a little more about where certain stories were coming from,” recalls Salma. “Both Paula and I are immigrants and we both observed how different cultures aren't often taught in the US, and it was important for us to share this point of view with our students.”

For Heide Solbrig, our resident Media Maven who guided Hidden Histories as Coach this past session, she felt that it’s not only the subjects the students undertake that matters, but the academic research methods utilized. From research, to annotating a bibliography, to writing a paper or producing a podcast or film, the students were able to take a previously hidden part of history and illuminate it. “By putting it in scholarly form, these histories stop being hidden and allow others to access it,” says Heide. “Plus the students learn that citations aren't just things that teachers bug you about, but they're about knowing that the next person who comes along can find that citation in your annotated bibliography and then do more research— so you become part of the flow of history. “

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“As much as this is a class about providing students academic skills, it's also preparing them on how to be a college student, since these are truly college level skills,” says Heide.

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Throughout the studio, student’s interests were varied, ranging from historical to contemporary research projects. In looking at war crimes, some students asked the question of how countries reframe uncomfortable histories. Others dove into subjects such as ingredients in popular foods and how the food industry often blames consumers for the unhealthy results.

Still other students took their research into a different kind of journalist format — the podcast. Examining Harvard University’s history of grave robbing and misuse of their cadavers, two students produced a podcast that looked at—often with a bit of humor—how an elite academic institution acquired its bodies for research in the past. During their research and subsequent conversations, the students discussed how some communities were chosen over others, and the ways in which we dehumanize communities less powerful than our own.

“One of our Beaver students with a previous head injury asked ‘what's the information around what head injuries do and how do we educate about prevention,’” shares Heide. His final project was an educational presentation encouraging people to implement head injury prevention. “I thought that was really exciting, and he told me that it was really exciting for him to incorporate something from his personal experience into an academic research project,” she says.

“As much as this is a class about providing students academic skills, it's also preparing them on how to be a college student, since these are truly college level skills,” says Heide. “I know a lot of college professors who are talking about not assigning academic papers anymore, because there's too much plagiarism out there. They are doing more in-person presentations, and more things like podcasts and short form documentaries—things that are harder to plagiarize.”

Overall, Heide says this class was energizing to teach, because of the focus students showed throughout the design studio. “I found the students were really excited about their work. It was not hard to get them to buckle down on this type of research project.”

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