For the past few weeks, students in the senior Journalism and Nonfiction Storytelling class have been working on a research project sourced from the Choate Archives. Each member of the class created an exhibit with five artifacts they culled from the school’s arhive collection, with topics ranging from the history senior soccer to the stories of the first minority students at Choate and Rosemary Hall. Their teacher, Dr. Amber Hodge — who is filling in for Mr. Mike Peed this fall — hoped that this experience would encourage more students to make use of the School’s archival resources in their research.
The Archives are filled with artifacts ranging from 19th century document records to historic yearbooks to old uniforms — all of which can paint a vivid picture of Choate’s history. Dr. Hodge explained, “It is my hope that this experience in the archives will encourage the class to continue on-the-ground research when they get to college to see what they can uncover.”
Journalism student Luc Galiardo ’22 was astounded by the Archives’ vast collection of artifacts. “I didn’t even know Choate had an Archives,” he said. “To see the amount of history kept there while most people are completely oblivious was pretty eye-opening.” Galiardo also shared Dr. Hodge’s enthusiasm for the future of Archives. “Everyone interested in the history of the school or programs should go to understand the past and how it has led to the events of today.”
Archivist Ms. Stephanie Gold noted that the Archives have become increasingly involved in the community each year. While journalism students have previously produced research papers, stories, and documentaries using archival content, Ms. Gold said that this was the “first time that such a large display of student work from the School Archives will be exhibited.” Additionally, Ms. Gold is trying to put together events such as exhibits, Choate history trivia night, and other class activities using archival materials.
The projects have been displayed in the library cases by the JFK exhibit since November 8 and will remain there until fall break. That said, Ms. Gold and Dr. Hodge hope that the Archives will continue to be a hub of student research and curiosity. “There is a wealth of material in the Choate archives, even beyond campus history,” Dr. Hodge said. “I think they could come in handy for almost any research project.”
