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Library
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Pixabay
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library
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Graduate Student Residents 2020
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graduate-student-summer-residents-2020
Text
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NHC Graduate Student Summer Residency
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Chaney Hill, 25, PhD Graduate student in English, Literature at Rice University
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Childhood
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Public Library
Description
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I grew up an hour and a half northwest of San Antonio, Texas in a small, rural town called Medina. Medina is home to one school (K-12 campus), about five stop signs, one gas station, two restaurants, and three churches. When I was younger, the town had a population of about three hundred people, while others lived ‘out of town’ on ranches, plots of land, or small trailer park communities. The school district, which spans approximately sixty miles of rural land in each direction, has anywhere between two hundred and fifty students to three hundred students (K-12).
The school had a football field, one un-air-conditioned gym, a bus barn/weight room, two halls for high school classes, one hall for junior high classes, and another for elementary school classes. The cafeteria, library, and work out facilities were shared by all. The school library had one room for elementary students, one room for junior high students, and about six shelves for high school students. Needless to say, the library, despite their best efforts, was woefully lacking. Outside of the school library, the closest library was a forty-minute drive and one town over. However, because we were not residents of that county, we were unable to check books out. Medina was, among other things, book-poor.
This changed in 2001 when a group of community members came together and raised the funds to build the Medina Community Library. The library had computers for those who otherwise wouldn’t have access to the internet, which was still largely unavailable in rural areas or was so outrageously expensive as to be unavailable, it had movies so people wouldn’t have to drive forty minutes to the Blockbuster a town over, and they had twice as many books as the school library.
Texas has an interesting history when it comes to public libraries, especially considering the state’s general aversion to public, non-commercial spaces (consider the lack of public land, public transport, and bikeable/ walkable spaces in Texas cities compared to other states and cities of similar populations and demographics). The frontier mindset of Texas influenced the prioritization of the accumulation of wealth while deprioritizing that which was not deemed essential to accumulating that wealth, such as non-commercial spaces for the public and acquiring non-technical knowledge (like the humanities). Consider, for instance, that Harvard University was founded some sixteen years after the Puritans landed at Plymouth Rock, but it took eighty years before Texas’s first public library[1] was founded.[2] While there are many other factors as to why the humanities have been decentralized and deprioritized (the frontier mindset is not the only factor by any means), I do think that the frontier mindset certainly contributed to the disparity of public libraries in the region I grew up (Notably, Medina’s county seat is nicknamed the Cowboy Capital of the World and it is not uncommon to see someone order a Cherry Limeade on horseback from the local Sonic Drive-In).
When the Medina Public Library opened I was finally given easy access to literature. My mother began volunteering at the library once a week after she got off work from her full-time job. These days I would wander the stacks choosing books I was interested in. I would sit on the floor and read for hours while my mom worked. Often when we think of a moment that inspired us to pursue the work we do in the humanities, we think of a book, a series, an author, an artifact, or a place with historical or religious significance. I have no singular thing that revealed to me the importance of the humanities. Instead, my humanities moment was the gift of public knowledge. The Medina Public Library, while it is still woefully inadequate compared to many other public libraries, was a democratic endeavor to provide my community with equal access to knowledge about other places, worlds, people, and experiences beyond our county. Instead of forefronting economic production, as the frontier mindset would mandate, the library instead fostered the circulation of knowledge and equitable community care.
[1] This is a debated topic. There are three different public libraries that lay claim to this title, but all claim their opening around the 1900s.
[2] See Texas Land Ethics by Pete A.Y. Gunter and Max Oelschlaeger (25-6).
Title
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The Power Public Knowledge has for the Humanities
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power-public-knowledge-for-humanities
Books & Reading
Cultural Exchange
Curiosity
Education
Libraries
Rural Communities
-
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Winter Lamppost Scene
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Pixabay
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winter-lamppost-scene
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Graduate Student Residents 2020
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graduate-student-summer-residents-2020
Text
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Andy Mink
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Nina Cook, 26, Graduate Student at Rice University
Date
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18 Years Ago
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The Chronicles of Narnia
Description
An account of the resource
When I think of my love for the humanities, I think of magic. For me, the humanities offer a glimpse into other realms, worlds filled with wonder, excitement and adventure. Perhaps nothing encapsulates the pure joy that the humanities represent to me as well as my forays into Narnia as a young child. C. S. Lewis’s magical land of Narnia was the first of many worlds I explored alongside my parents and younger sister. When I was small, my family did not have a television, so after dinner reading was our most entertaining pastime. I remember my parents taking turns reading through <em>The Chronicles of Narnia</em>. My daddy would perform different voice for each character—accents included. It was great fun! My sister and I would sit enthralled for hours (or what seemed like it), begging for “just one more chapter.” <br /><br />For us, it was not just a book—it was an entire world that we brought to life together in our middle-class kitchen in plain old Plano, Texas. <em>The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe</em> made us long for Christmas and shiver with cold, even in the hot Texas summers. We begged for Turkish Delight; the descriptions of the delicacy tested the limits of our childish imaginations and we wanted to taste it for ourselves. One day, daddy came home from work and brought us a box filled with the delectable sweet so we could experience Edmund’s temptation alongside him. We were unimpressed. In my memory, the texture is wrong and the taste pales in comparison to the way Turkish Delight had tantalized my imagination—it was like the inside of a jelly bean: bland, fruity—a little slimy. I remember thinking it would definitely take something chocolate and gooey (not fruity and slimy) for me to betray my siblings as Edmund had done. <br /><br />My sister and I fought over the relative merits of each novel. My favorite was <em>Prince Caspian</em> (I liked that Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy reprised their roles in the book and even at that age I was a sucker for a Prince and an under-dog rebellion), hers was <em>The Horse and His Boy</em>. For Christmas, the year after my parents finished reading through all seven of <em>The Chronicles</em>, they gave us the whole series of recorded books on tape. We listened to them so often that I think I still have the majority of <em>Prince Caspian</em> memorized. Indeed, for me—to a certain extent—the magic of Narnia is indelibly linked in memory to the magic of Christmas, each filled with happiness, family, and lots and lots of food. Reading <em>The Voyage of the Dawn Treader</em> had me dreaming about spiced wine. As a child, of course, I could not experience this particular delicacy from Narnia, but I recall the first Christmas that my daddy made it for us. Even as adults, the experience took me back to Narnia. We still drink it around the holidays and reminisce about those good old days adventuring with the Pevensies, King Caspian, and Reepicheep the mouse. <br /><br />I still often think of quotations from the books—they come to me, like magical mantas, perfect little bits of encouragement in my everyday life. One of my favorites is from <em>The Silver Chair</em> and perfectly sums up my beliefs about why we should study the humanities. A little bit of background: Puddleglum, a marshwiggle from Narnia, is (as his name would suggest) a glum old chap. On his adventure with two human children, they get caught in a witch’s underground realm. She casts a spell on them to make them forget the beauty and magic of the world above, of the stars, and the sun, and even the great Lion and King of the Woods, Aslan himself. In a truly heroic soliloquy, Puddleglum defends the idea of storytelling and the power of imagination, arguing against the witch’s claim that everything he believes is a lie: "Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things-trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that's a funny thing, when you come to think of it. We're just babies making up a game, if you're right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That's why I'm going to stand by the play world. I'm on Aslan's side even if there isn't any Aslan to lead it. I'm going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn't any Narnia. So, thanking you kindly for our supper, if these two gentlemen and the young lady are ready, we're leaving your court at once and setting out in the dark to spend our lives looking for Overland. Not that our lives will be very long, I should think; but that's a small loss if the world's as dull a place as you say" (Lewis 182). <br /><br />The implied question at the end of this quotation is what keeps me coming back again and again to the power of story. Is the world as dull a place as most people believe? I cannot believe that. It is important in this scenario that the story Puddleglum has told the witch about the world above is true, just as there is a bit of truth in all of the things that we, as scholars of the humanities, study: the histories, and the paintings, and the stories. Many may tell us that what we do is not important—but the humanities matter. They speak to the essence of the human experience, to the beauty (although broken) of our wonderful world, and in <em>The Silver Chair</em>, C. S. Lewis wrote a compelling apology for the magic of the humanities. <br /><br />Lewis, C. S. <em>The Silver Chair</em>. New York, HarperCollins, 1953.
Title
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The Magic of the Humanities
Identifier
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the-magic-of-the-humanities
Books & Reading
Children's Literature
Curiosity
Family
Lewis, C.S.
Storytelling
The Chronicles of Narnia
-
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694d3a9679c46c2c65ce16722cbe9fdf
Text
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From my colleague Craig Perrier
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Angela Linker, Educator
Date
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1980s-1990s
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Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Description
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Throughout my childhood and teenage years, my mother and I frequently drove into the city of Detroit to attend an event or performance at one of the many beautiful cultural institutions. Scattered throughout the downtown area, theaters and art galleries stand out against the backdrop of urban decay. She always found the perfect artistic experience to highlight something I was studying in school, or to show me the endless possibilities of creative expression. She required that we dress up, which often meant that we had to go shopping in preparation for our outing; so many fun memories. Since it was usually just the two of us, she taught me all the best places in the city to park, and how to look “tough” when we walked down the street to our destination. I remember wondering why we needed to look tough, not yet having lost the trust of humanity that accompanies childhood innocence.
It was during these excursions that I developed a love for the city. I love the way it smells. I love the way the buildings remind me of a time that I can only read about in history books or stories. I love how it embraces its gritty reputation without apology. I love how the neighborhoods reflect the immigration of a variety of cultures who have shared their traditions and celebrations that we honor and enjoy. I love that coexisting amid the urban decay there are these inspirational pockets of hope – all having one thing in common: they pull people in from the suburbs. Even if just for the day, these centers of humanity pull in those whose families fled generations ago for what they thought would be a better life. A safer life, some would argue.
During one particular outing to Detroit, my mother shared her excitement that we were going to see a dance company. It was too early in the season for The Nutcracker; I wondered with anticipation who we would see. I wish I could recall, with certainty, which theater we visited that day – they are all such pillars of beauty standing as beacons – pockets of hope – throughout the city.
When the curtain opened and the dancers appeared everything else faded away. If you’ve ever read a book more than once or have seen the same movie or performance multiple times, then perhaps you’ve had that experience of seeing the story or the characters differently – either because you’ve changed or you’ve had an experience that has provided a new perspective through which you now see. Up to this point I had seen many ballet productions; I could anticipate an arabesque or predict the pattern in a pas de deux. I had never seen a dance performance as powerful as this. I had nothing to which it could compare. I was mesmerized. It was a ballet that simultaneously adhered to the rules and broke the rules. The performance stepped outside of the box just enough to call attention to the unique, modern way of telling a story through movement.
At moments the dancers floated across the stage like one might expect while watching Swan Lake; however, the most captivating sequences were the ones when the dancers used their bodies to create movements that told the story of a struggle – one with historical context and current-day relevance. Every muscle taut, exposed legs, bare torsos, and bodies that broke the typical mold that one might expect from a professional ballet company. Strong arms and legs carried the burden of the story of injustice and heartbreak. Strong arms and legs moved with determination toward freedom and equality.
This moment, my humanities moment – experiencing the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, forever changed the way I view an artistic production. My new expectation was that a creative director would have the courage enough to take a risk, break the mold, and show a conscious effort to create something that makes the audience stop and consider another perspective.
It always fascinated me that we travelled into the city to have our ideas challenged, to have our curiosity piqued, and to have our emotions stirred. Reflecting back on these experiences, I am grateful for my mother who created opportunities to have my preconceptions challenged and my ideas transformed.
Title
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Perspectives
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perspectives
African American History
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Arts
Cultural Awareness
Curiosity
Dance
Detroit, MI
Modern Dance
Mothers & Daughters
Urban Decay
Urban Revival
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Kingfisher History Encyclopedia
Text
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Nora Nunn
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Milind Kulkarni, 30, Engineer
Date
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1999
Source
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Kingfisher World History Encyclopedia
Description
An account of the resource
My humanities moment is about a brilliant encyclopedia which covered the vastness of world history from the prehistoric times to the present day in a concise and engrossing manner. I remember seeing the encyclopedia as a 5th grader in my neighbourhood bookstore. I was entranced by the picture on the book jacket. I think it was a medieval Norman-English stained glass painting. The book was imported into India and was very expensive, so my parents did not agree to get it immediately. I remember stopping by the bookstore many times on my way back from school and checking if the book was still on sale. I finally persuaded my parents to buy it for me.
One of the more interesting parts was that for every historical era there were timelines which showed significant events in every continent of the world. It made me appreciate how different civilizations and cultures went through ups and downs through the centuries, and how some went extinct while others adapted to changing circumstances and persisted through the tough times. It also makes you understand that the present world order is just a slice in the long arc of history and is not permanent.
The book really created in me a lifelong curiosity for history. I think learning about history also enlightens you about what makes communities and cultures strong and successful. Things like a healthy scepticism against dogma, a robust justice system and a conducive climate for innovation are all things which enable great societies. And I think we should all be cognizant of it so that we can improve our communities.
Title
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The long arc of history
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milind-kulkarni-long-arc-history
Books & Reading
Curiosity
Encyclopedias
Engineers
History
Kingfisher World History Encyclopedia
Surat, India
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Map of shootings at Kent State University, May 1970
Moving Image
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Player
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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JOQ2H0wRCiM" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
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Spaces & Stories: Kent State
Description
An account of the resource
Stephen Kidd recalls a trip to Kent State University that he made as a high school student while growing up in Ohio. This visit to the site of the 1970 Kent State shootings provided a greater historical context to an event that had cleaved his home state several years prior. For Kidd, the campus tour crystallized the connection between physical spaces and the stories that surround them.
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Stephen Kidd, Executive Director, National Humanities Alliance
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stephen-kidd-kent-state
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A high-school trip to Kent State University
College Campuses
Curiosity
High School
Kent State Shootings, Kent, Ohio, 1970
Kent State University
Kent, Ohio
Lieux de Mémoire
School Field Trips
School Shootings
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Andromeda Crowell
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#Humanitiesinclass
Description
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This collection includes contributions from members of the National Humanities Center's education project Humanities in Class. The project aims to develop a deeper portfolio of curricular materials and help set standards for humanities education that highlight differences among humanities disciplines.
Text
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A Scientist Appreciates the Humanities
Description
An account of the resource
During college I was on my way to becoming a scientist when I decided to get my education license on the side. During my student teaching internship, I was set to teach my mostly anti-science group of students a controversial topic in biology. I was not really looking forward to it, but I put my heart into designing lessons anyway, and actually an amazing thing happened. During one of the activities I designed, I noticed that not only was everyone in the class engaged, but they were genuinely curious and asking questions. After we finished for the day, I even had a student come up to me and say that now they could really understand why people supported some of the controversial ideas. That’s a moment for me because for a period of time I was able to help someone find their curiosity in science, see it as relevant to them and understand more about the people around them because of it. I hope that by learning to act as scientists in my classroom, my students are better able in the future to understand the natural world and the people in it and, maybe, solve some of the world’s problems.
Although most people think of science and humanities as separate fields of study, in reality they are highly interrelated. Scientists may have different methods and modes of thinking than humanists, but in the end science is just a curiosity about the human condition. After all, it's the relationships I build with people and the understandings students develop about each other and the world that drives me to continue to teach science.
Subject
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Although most people think of science and humanities as separate fields of study, in reality they are highly interrelated. Scientists may have different methods and modes of thinking than humanists, but in the end science is just a curiosity about the human condition. After all, it's the relationships I build with people and the understandings students develop about each other and the world that drives me to continue to teach science.
Date
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2008
Contributor
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<a href="http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/humanities-in-class-guide-thinking-learning-in-humanities/">Andromeda Crowell</a>, 27, Science Teacher, Orange High School, Hillsborough, NC
Identifier
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scientist-appreciates-humanities
Controversy
Curiosity
Science & the Humanities
Teachers & Teaching