{"id":12786,"date":"2023-09-25T18:51:27","date_gmt":"2023-09-25T18:51:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/?p=12786"},"modified":"2024-02-06T15:44:48","modified_gmt":"2024-02-06T15:44:48","slug":"history-doesnt-repeat-itself-but-it-rhymes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/2023\/09\/25\/history-doesnt-repeat-itself-but-it-rhymes\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018History doesn\u2019t repeat itself, but it rhymes\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kay Carvajal \u201923<\/strong> grew up surrounded by stories\u2014her parents\u2019 journey from Mexico to Minneapolis, her neighbors\u2019 traditions, and her friends\u2019 dreams for better.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur lives are stories, and collectively, those stories make our history,\u201d said Carvajal, who was raised in southern Minnesota.<\/p>\n

\"\"
History Professor Michael Lansing<\/strong> uses a tape-to-tape reel to digitize recordings. (Photo by Courtney Perry)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

During her first year at Augsburg, Carvajal enrolled in a history class about Islamophobia. \u201cIt was this blend of social justice, reflections of the past, and visioning for the future,\u201d she said. \u201cI never thought history could be so engaging, so alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

She signed up for more history classes. \u201cI learned the importance of history and the power that comes with telling it,\u201d she said. \u201cI realized I wanted to dedicate my life to empowering others to tell their story because if you don\u2019t tell your story, others will.\u201d<\/p>\n

Through the Augsburg Department of History, Carvajal didn\u2019t simply study history\u2014she created it by researching lost voices and oral histories, including a recent oral history project about COVID-19<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe learned to approach history with action,\u201d Carvajal said. \u201cInstead of focusing on textbooks, we handled primary sources, created historical documents, and helped people share their stories. Learning and telling history creates empathy, understanding, and action.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carvajal graduated in May with a bachelor\u2019s degree in sociology and a minor in history. She now works full-time as the bilingual program specialist for Pillsbury United Communities, a network of programs and centers for marginalized groups. In her role, she supports the personal, social, and economic well-being of youth in Minneapolis\u2019 East Phillips neighborhood.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got a grant through the Minnesota Humanities Center to help middle schoolers capture their own stories and conduct oral histories in their neighborhoods,\u201d she said. \u201cI am teaching these kids the importance of documenting lives, events, and artifacts. I want to excite them about history the way my professors excited me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Michael Lansing, history professor (Photo by Courtney Perry)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Carvajal is among Augsburg\u2019s thousands of history graduates whose classes challenged them to apply classroom knowledge to relevant projects that connect members of the public with the past. History Professor Michael Lansing<\/strong> says students learn about the past so they can make sense of the present.<\/p>\n

\u201cHistory is not the memorization of facts. History is about reading and writing and thinking,\u201d Lansing said. \u201cWe ask careful questions, consider multiple perspectives, and analyze information because history doesn\u2019t repeat itself, but it rhymes. Those who have the skills and knowledge to look back and interpret what was done and why can make more informed decisions about the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Doing history in public<\/h2>\n

Lansing has engaged students in dozens of public history projects for community partners, including Purple Places: A Digital History Tour of Prince\u2019s Minneapolis and Overpoliced and Underprotected in MSP<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In Spring 2023, Lansing worked with a team of students to document the voices and policies of Augsburg during the COVID-19 pandemic. The course, Doing History in Public, is a 4-credit class open to all majors interested in practicing historical methods for non-academic audiences.<\/p>\n

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Librarian Mike Bloomberg<\/strong> enters the Digitization Lab at Augsburg. (Photo by Courtney Perry)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Since this course\u2019s inception in 2009, students have contributed to or created oral histories, archives, exhibits, digital history experiences, historic preservation, and more. In 2019, the class\u2014taught each spring\u2014became a required course for all history majors. \u201cThat move,\u201d Lansing said, \u201cdemonstrates Augsburg\u2019s pledge to a practical, relevant education.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last semester’s COVID-19 focus emerged from a conversation with Mike Bloomberg<\/strong>, a digital and research services librarian at Augsburg. Bloomberg said he was reviewing the university\u2019s archives from the 1918 influenza pandemic and found \u201calmost nothing, other than a few articles in The Echo student newspaper and a report that the president\u2019s secretary nursed students to health in the gym.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen something is negative, we don\u2019t want to linger in it. We want to move on and forget, but it\u2019s important for us to look back and reflect,\u201d Bloomberg said. \u201cI didn\u2019t want us to repeat that history, so I talked with Dr. Lansing about how we could preserve the experiences of our students, faculty, and staff during this time. Had we had more information about the pandemic response in 1918, we might have made some different decisions today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Capturing diverse voices<\/h2>\n

Bloomberg and other library staff worked alongside Lansing and his students to learn how to use recording equipment, identify people to interview, develop questions, and collect artifacts such as masks, documents, and photos.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe process of collecting and reflecting is healing,\u201d Bloomberg said. \u201cThe pandemic changed us in profound ways that we might not realize, and many of us involved in this project\u2014from the students interviewing subjects to the subjects themselves\u2014enjoyed connecting about what happened to us during and because of this time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
University Archivist Stewart Van Cleve<\/strong> retrieves items in the Augsburg archives. (Photo by Courtney Perry)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Stewart Van Cleve<\/strong>, associate library director and university archivist, advocates for and supports capturing history at Augsburg. He considers this work a gift to the future.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m looking through the oral histories we have of Augsburg memories, and it\u2019s this gallery of faces of amazing people who have shaped the institution. Many of them are gone, but through these oral histories, they can talk to us across time, which is truly a miracle,\u201d he said. \u201cMy goal is to ensure our community has a sense of belonging and connection to the institution, this legacy that is something greater than any of us could be on our own.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carvajal said she and her peers felt that connection with the people they featured in the COVID oral history project. She interviewed Dorris Carter-Murray<\/strong>, a custodian at Augsburg, to reflect on the time and energy it took to maintain a clean and safe campus through an uncertain, menacing time.<\/p>\n

\u201cDorris was an important voice to hear,\u201d Carvajal said. \u201cShe was on the front lines during the pandemic, and she worked extremely hard to make sure we all stayed safe. It\u2019s easy for people in her role to feel invisible or even looked down on, but it was encouraging to hear that she felt really supported and seen at Augsburg.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nell Matheny \u201923<\/strong> interviewed Augsburg University President Paul Pribbenow<\/strong>. An aspiring museum professional, Matheny said learning to make history engaging and relevant will inform their career. The COVID project compelled them to consider how the pandemic affected others.<\/p>\n

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President Paul Pribbenow<\/strong> after he got the COVID-19 vaccine, April 2021 (Photo by Courtney Perry)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cCOVID impacted me quite a bit. I had to switch schools and move back home,\u201d said the history major from Maplewood, Minnesota. \u201cIt was interesting to see the institutional side of things and how others dealt with such challenges and chaos.\u201d<\/p>\n

Matheny and Pribbenow talked at length about the complexity of the leadership challenges Augsburg administrators faced with limited information. Pribbenow hopes people who see his COVID-19 oral history interview appreciate the genuine effort he and his staff took to make sound decisions.<\/p>\n

\u201cI found the history project interview to be a little jarring as I realized how much of the pandemic was a bit of a blur for me,\u201d Pribbenow said. \u201cI sometimes had trouble remembering exactly when we made certain decisions as the years blended in my memory. I hope that the combination of perspectives included in the oral history will ensure that there is an accurate picture of what we did and when.\u201d<\/p>\n

Matheny and their peers focused on oral histories to capture details and perspectives that might otherwise be overlooked or lost in the gathering of artifacts, data, and documents. Hearing someone\u2019s voice, Matheny added, completes the story.<\/p>\n

Augsburg University Pastor Babette Chatman \u201906<\/strong> was also among the voices in the COVID-19 oral history project. She was eager to share her perspectives as an essential worker and Black woman walking alongside people, particularly the most vulnerable.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a move in this country to be selective about what history and whose history is told, so it\u2019s important to engage and excite people about documenting history,\u201d said Chatman. \u201cDuring the interview, I recalled a story about meeting with students over Zoom. I promised them that if they did not give up, I would be there when they walked across the stage at Commencement 2023, and I was.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Stewart Van Cleve shows items that have been filed into the archives related to COVID-19. (Photo by Courtney Perry)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Walking people through history<\/h2>\n

The COVID-19 oral history project is one of several oral histories<\/a> produced through the university archives. Oral histories of Muslims in Minnesota, graduate memories, and the Health Commons are among those available online, alongside the archive\u2019s collections of yearbooks, alumni magazines, photographs, and more.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Jacqueline deVries<\/strong>, history department chair<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Many of the students and professors who worked on those projects have also contributed to Augsburg Digi-Tours<\/a>, a collection of stories and virtual tours that explore thought-provoking topics such as racial and ethnic tensions during Minnesota\u2019s suffrage movement and the history of Minneapolis\u2019 Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. These interactive experiences involved collaborations with other programs across campus, including information technology and graphic design.<\/p>\n

History Department Chair Jacqueline deVries<\/strong> is among the faculty who have led these dynamic projects. In Spring 2020, she and eight students persisted through the pandemic shutdown to gather photos and stories about the women\u2019s suffrage movement in Minnesota. They collaborated with the Hennepin History Museum to create \u201cVotes for Women,” a digital walking tour that invites people to walk in the footsteps of women activists and reformers more than 100 years ago, remembering the 1920 passage of the 19th Amendment.<\/p>\n

DeVries is working with students to finalize a digi-tour to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Hennepin Theatre Trust. The tour weaves stories, photos, and audio into a walking tour that explores the history of theater in Minneapolis.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Jacqueline deVries (second from right) with Augsburg students who worked on a research project partnering with Hennepin Theatre Trust. (Courtesy photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThis type of work really stretches students,\u201d deVries said. \u201cThey have to do a lot of original scholarship with primary sources and then also consider what people want to know and learn. They have to think spatially about how to develop a walking tour, and then they have to engage with technology to produce it.<\/p>\n

\u201cStudents are looking for meaning and purpose and significance, and having a real audience heightens students\u2019 engagement,\u201d deVries said.<\/p>\n

Carvajal said these hands-on experiences are what led her to realize her passionate purpose, and Lansing said hearing this and other stories motivates his department to continue to teach beyond the classroom.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are driven to nurture students to be informed citizens, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders and to help them find a vocation where their talents meet the world\u2019s needs,\u201d Lansing said. \u201cHistory is woven into every aspect of our lives, and it\u2019s encouraging to see so many students get excited about history\u2019s application in their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Possibilities of the past<\/h2>\n

Nick Stewart-Bloch \u201917<\/strong> reflects the power and potential of a history degree from Augsburg. During his sophomore year, the double major in history and international relations collaborated with deVries to research the civic agency of Jewish women in interwar Great Britain. That experience led to a legislative internship followed by contributions to The Historyapolis Project<\/a>, which documents the history of racial segregation in Minneapolis through oral histories and engaging visual maps online.<\/p>\n

After graduating, Stewart-Bloch moved to China to teach English and host international conferences before returning to Minneapolis to serve as a case manager for Agate Housing, where he mediated conflicts between property managers and tenants.<\/p>\n

\"\"
DeVries speaks with Bloomberg, Van Cleve, and Lansing in Augsburg’s archives. (photo by Courtney Perry)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWhen I worked with unhoused folks, my experience at Augsburg helped me understand inequalities as well as what a more just city and more just policies can look like,\u201d he said. \u201cThe university\u2019s commitment to applied learning that is community-based and geared toward social justice is how I want to practice. Public history helps explain where we are today and hopefully makes us more aware of how our decisions create the kind of society we want.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2021, Stewart-Bloch moved to Los Angeles to pursue a master\u2019s degree in urban and regional planning at the University of California. The Minnesota native hopes to support labor and environmental justice movements as a strategic researcher.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe training and ideas I gained at Augsburg have set me up to look at urban planning more critically,\u201d he said. \u201cIt makes me want to engage with it in a way that redresses the wrongs committed by past planners.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lansing easily recalled the names of other graduates who are applying their history degrees in a range of fields. He and his colleagues in the history department regularly invite alumni and community members to speak to and partner with classes.<\/p>\n

\u201cConnecting students with professionals facilitates conversations with people actually doing this work and using these skills in a variety of venues,\u201d Lansing said. \u201cThese interactions inspire my students but also lead to internships and future jobs. Our collaborative work is building bridges.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Top image: Jacqueline deVries, Stewart Van Cleve, Mike Bloomberg, and Michael Lansing hold a COVID-19 distancing floor sticker used at Augsburg, now filed in the university archives. (Photo by Courtney Perry)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kay Carvajal \u201923 grew up surrounded by stories\u2014her parents\u2019 journey from Mexico to Minneapolis, her neighbors\u2019 traditions, and her friends\u2019 dreams for better. \u201cOur lives are stories, and collectively, those stories make our history,\u201d said Carvajal, who was raised in southern Minnesota. During her first year at Augsburg, Carvajal enrolled in a history class about <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":278,"featured_media":12830,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[236],"class_list":["post-12786","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured-stories","tag-fall-2023"],"wps_subtitle":"Augsburg\u2019s history department makes the past relevant to the future. ","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12786","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/278"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12786"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12786\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13022,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12786\/revisions\/13022"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12830"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12786"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12786"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12786"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}