Xiao Blog Post 1 – Introduction

Hi everyone!

My name’s Claire Xiao, and I’m a sophomore majoring in statistics and history. I’m from a suburb right outside of Philadelphia, and I have one older brother. I first learned about Digital Durham through Bass Connections. And I was immediately intrigued. Digital Durham is a cross-disciplinary class that combines so many fields–history, visual media studies, education, etc. It seemed like such an applicable class for me to merge my different interests. I also really wanted to learn more about Durham. I’ve lived in Philadelphia for most of my life and don’t know much about Durham or the South. Digital Durham would allow me to interact directly with primary sources and the city.

Last summer, I participated in Story+ and had the chance to visit archives at UNC, NCSU, and (of course) Duke. It was fascinating and thrilling to be touching documents from decades ago. I’m looking forward to interacting with more archival resources this year!

On campus, I am involved with Club Table Tennis, Duke History Union, and The Chronicle. I played table tennis competitively for nine years, and I really enjoy being on a team at Duke since table tennis is primarily an individual sport. I also enjoy hanging out with my friends and reading.

Polson Blog Post 1 – Introduction

Hi, everyone! My name is Sophie Polson, and I am a senior from Overland Park, KS (a suburb of Kansas City). I am studying Computer Science with a certificate in Information Science and Studies. I was fortunate enough to take NC Jukebox with Professor Abel and Professor Szabo last spring, so I have returned for another semester! That being said, this course also sounded like a perfect way to finish my last semester at Duke. I’ve lived in Durham for the past four years, but I’m not very familiar with much of its history. This course seems to be the perfect combination of learning the history of the city alongside technological tools to aid in the increased access to and perpetuation of Durham’s historical records that may otherwise remain hidden.

On campus, I am heavily involved in the marching and pep band. I love being a part of a musical group that is able to travel and support other teams on campus! I have been a UTA for an assortment of Computer Science classes over the past three and a half years. I have also held a student developer job with the web department at the Social Science Research Institute in Gross Hall for the past three years. I enjoy going to the gym and experimenting with P.E. classes offered here at Duke – the course I’m attempting this semester is Stand Up Paddleboard Fitness! I am excited to be here and to get to know all of you throughout this semester!

Goldberger Blog Post 1- Introduction

Hello, everyone! My name is Tyler Goldberger, and I am a junior from Raleigh, North Carolina majoring in History and Spanish while also pursuing the Jewish Studies Certificate. Because of all of these interests, I thought this course would allow me to explore a topic that I am yet to investigate in a way that would encourage touching and researching with primary documents. I have always loved the opportunity of using resources in the Rubenstein Library, and I believe that this course will give me the tools to learn more about effective research and interpretation of primary resources. On top of this, I think displaying this historical information digitally is a fascinating avenue to share what we learn as a class to a larger audience. Being from so close but never really having looked too deeply into the history of Durham, I hope to expand my knowledge of an area I consider home. There are many names deeply rooted into the Durham community – the Blackwells, the Dukes, Pauli Murray – and I want to delve into this history to learn what they contributed to this city to ensure that their names and memories would live long past their lives. I am really looking forward to what this collaborative space will bring throughout the next semester.

Outside of the classroom, I really enjoy running and reading! My goal this semester is to complete my second marathon in Virginia! I am currently living in the newest dorm on East Campus which has me playing too many car racing games. I also have discovered that I have a little travel bug in me, as I spent this past summer in Jerusalem, Israel and this last semester in Madrid, Spain! These experiences have allowed me to explore my interests in history and how history is remembered. I am really passionate about bringing awareness to mass atrocities committed in Spanish-speaking countries, and I think taking this class will introduce new ways to present and share information through a number of technological mediums.