Rachel Wallach, Published Oct 17
Some historians are academics, but many others are museum professionals, library specialists, community archivists, historic house guides, activists, educators, and interested members of the public.
Recently, 168 such historians gathered at Baltimore’s Museum of Industry to discuss interests, describe research in progress, and share resources and connections. Ten Johns Hopkins students plus one recent graduate were among them.
“It was a different take on history than what we usually get,” said John Ellis, a senior history major in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences.
The gathering itself, titled Bmore Historic, was also different from a typical conference; to emphasize that point, it’s called an “unconference.” Unconferences, explained Bmore Historic’s organizers, are run by participants, who propose sessions and then vote on which ones will be presented. Sessions are designed as conversations, with the presenter describing an idea or experience and then facilitating a discussion in which all participants share knowledge and resources. A round of two-minute “lightning talks” was also held during lunch.
Victoria Harms, associate teaching professor in the Department of History, encouraged history majors and minors and other interested students to attend, as the event offered a low-pressure taste of research presentation, a chance to make connections with other historians, and an unusually in-depth way to engage with Baltimore, she said. Student participation was promoted by members of Hopkins’ Undergraduate History Association (UHA), and funded by an anonymous alumnus donation in honor of the late professor emeritus Robert Forster.
“The unconference connects our students with like-minded, historically minded folks in Baltimore,” Harms said. “It also offers a more inclusive vision of academia—with a social justice bent—and historical knowledge production.”
Initially nervous about presenting, Ellis—co-president of the UHA—said he secretly hoped he wouldn’t get enough votes to host the session he’d proposed (in the end, everyone who wanted to present was able to, Harms said). Ellis shared the research he’s been doing for his senior thesis, which focuses on the development of three Jesuit institutions of higher education in the mid-Atlantic region from 1962 to 1974. Bypassing the administrative changes that are a typical focal point of such investigations, Ellis is exploring instead how students responded to the period’s major secular and religious developments, including the Second Vatican Council, civil rights, and the war in Vietnam.
As Ellis began his presentation, his nerves faded. “It forced me to be comfortable talking about my research,” Ellis said, “and having to explain it to other people helps clarify the idea. The free discussion made me think; when I was doing research afterward, I noticed things I wouldn’t have noticed before because of questions that people had asked in the session.”
Full Article: https://hub.jhu.edu/2024/10/17/bmore-historic-unconference/
