1 10 39 https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/33439/archive/files/57c80c95384734f3ff71b52250a2ca23.png?Expires=1779926400&Signature=QVCrO6cfz13YSj2y04XkBGknRrT-NivQIjWWG2mM7R1VUJISIYsPfYHsrXoS-bEmcKU-nNBc1vRNc2zf4W82myAsF%7Eups2qm6I2ZWNF4RpV-WvYeltpWZOkdbaWPd5ZhkBTmrow4q4XCAscZt74PKTICAaFB6Ogs2bLi4FaEXu2rWQhmCb3zJJ0umdY2sbqC-aV%7EzKKZDRtJIxiP7r0v8cBU%7Eh-2f6XxGtSJL2HimNiVxHSF8zjQXjVWVlRFSIt5KET3LBQup0-9aJbxGl4vfeb0uzMSjK9uPI6ohBgacMvAXiMrTBhoHgWkd2MvtAPEfvmNi6v8xHyQVcIsBL9FEw__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 08ff48ffe54c84c9c64196dce45bd84b Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource ALFA Mini-Exhibitions Still Image Catalog Entry The artifact above is from a protest that occurred on May 31st in Boston, Massachusetts. Carrie Mays (pictured in the artifact) is a youth activist and a sophomore at UMass Boston. She “has facilitated community events such as dialogues about racism and spoken at national conferences. Change, she said, needs to begin when we uplift the voices of young people of color” (Laucharoen). Mays helped spread awareness of the protest occurring in Boston by creating a video to tell people that it would be a powerful movement as well as peaceful: “The march began at Nubian Square and drew together what Mays called a rainbow of people, individuals of different races chanting together in solidarity” (Laucharoen). Mays helped start this protest in the fight for George Floyd. George Floyd was an African-American man who was killed during an arrest after a store clerk alleged he had passed a counterfeit $20 bill in Minneapolis. Derek Chauvin, one of four police officers who arrived on the scene, knelt on Floyd's neck for a period initially reported to be 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Floyd continually repeated, “I can’t breathe,” however the officers there paid no attention and continued to kneel on his neck, which eventually killed him. This is where the quote “I can’t breathe” came from. Starting in May, several protests occurred in Minneapolis, where George Floyd died. In fact, on May 5, 2020, Floyd died, and just one day after, May 26th, as well as May 27th, protests had spread from Minneapolis all the way around the country. Soon after it spread to different countries as well. This includes: “In Australia, there were major protests in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane that focused on the treatment of indigenous Australians. There were also demonstrations in France, Germany, Spain, and the UK. In Bristol, protesters tore down the statue of a 17th century slave trader and threw it into the harbor” (“George Floyd Death: US Protests Timeline”). Every state in the United States took part in these protests. I think that this artifact is a great example because it symbolizes what everyone was thinking. People and communities were able to take part in something that will forever go into history. It is unfortunate that people do not realize that discrimination, racism, and police brutality had occurred long before this. They at least may have not realized that it was so relevant. I think by bringing light to the situation that this has happened in the past goes to prove that it is part of cultural heritage because the impact from history continues until present day. So many more individuals who were not educated on the topic of police brutality as well as racism have been taught and now have a better understanding of it. I chose this artifact specifically because it brings a back story as well as present-day issues up front. I mainly wanted to talk about George Floyd, however this picture not only represents him but his family and a new world understanding by others. This tragic event had a big impact on his family as well as the world. You can see Carrie Mays hold up a sign that says “Daddy Changed the World,” which was said by Gianna Floyd. Gianna is George Floyd's 6-year-old daughter. I think that our generation has helped tremendously to bring awareness to this situation mainly because we have seen it happen and grew up talking and learning a lot about it in school. However, even though we have learned so much in school there is still so much information that we missed. Especially being someone who is white, I did not grow up experiencing racism and discrimination. I did not grow up having to be afraid of cops or having to be worried that someone would come up to me and discriminate against me just because of my skin color. I am happy to see that so many other people who are white as well, or anyone who simply just has not dealt with this horrible situation, have started to bring their attention to it all. Our generation wants to make a difference and by using social media to spread the word, and to tell when protests were, or just fight back and stand up to racists, we now have a whole new understanding of what minority races go through every day. Now, newer and younger generations are able to grow up with the Black Lives Matter movement, which will hopefully lead them to change the world in a better way for minorities that unfortunately still deal with discrimination, police brutality, and racism. This tragic event of course brought a lot of attention and controversy, which is why the protests and backlash has been so intense within 2020 and even in 2021. As this topic of Black Lives Matter occurred around the world, and was brought attention to myself and others, I had several questions. The questions that were raised were not technically ones that I would ask anyone. They are more of ones that I let myself think about because it is not common sense that anyone would be able to answer on the spot. I always want to know: why have we as a country and people in general let this discrimination of other races get to this point? Why did we let this happen in the first place? I always ask myself why anyone would see other people as different just because of their skin color, and why do people think its okay to be racist? What makes Black people and minorities not like white people? We are all the same on the inside, and I think that 2020 was not only a year of disasters, but also a year where people became more educated and willing to stand up for what is right when it comes to these topics. Bibliography “George Floyd Death: US Protests Timeline.” BBC News, 4 June 2020, www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52921418. Laucharoen, Shira. “Youth Organizers Experiences Tear Gas, Solidarity on Front Lines of Protest.” Dig Bos, 11 June 2020, https://digboston.com/youth-organizers-experience-tear-gas-solidarity-on-front-lines-of-protests/. Catalog Entry Author(s) Leah Gorham, Student, Fitchburg State University Photographer(s) Photo taken by Derek Kouyoumjian ALFA Mentor Gail Hoar Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource “Daddy Changed the World” ALFA Black Lives Matter curatorial activism writing II spring 2021 https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/33439/archive/files/d9cbfac0e0474c8192d1335602e55baf.png?Expires=1779926400&Signature=qvZ0z0-OFyoWKlFdJImiMihikCmCxo6auhrakaNCg3bWiq1wD%7EODIraTJuuCpSgefE86hMUF8UGeBYT5OZzy4W9%7EpAbKlUh9nilK%7EVx9ZOYwzj2wCCqkwSL63j67t498XaC1IVRZxI2dCUqE86dU7JFXa%7EE7oEQiQrt2F7g%7Eef2cPJKacApboYxictRv9P7GWr1WaU7QlwVpYWwMPxGgQv0ASFwsNYzd4%7ECxiO3refuCxk5bCDZRecio5TRsu8LdD2HOBC9tkofMIVRBtrGfmRcIvAch1lckdbX0WKPxn%7EgMBHM-3D2nmZbBTcGkAR1mL%7Ey2OHQGDDIDZPBTRQBrjw__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 55dc9f96fa3d41d5ffc9276f381c56dd Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource ALFA Mini-Exhibitions Still Image Catalog Entry The artifact above was taken by a local photographer, Dan Holmes. This photo was taken in Hopedale, Massachusetts, and shows an active protest that took place for the Black Lives Matter movement. This picture shows Jackson Tahmoush, a resident of Hopedale, kneeling on the ground along with several other people of the community and surrounding towns. Back on May 5, 2020, George Floyd died. This tragic event inspired protests all over Minneapolis and also spread by word and social media to surrounding states, as well as the entire country and other countries. As a matter of fact, “about 15 million to 26 million people in the United States have participated in demonstrations over the death of George Floyd and others in recent weeks," which “would make the recent protests the largest movement in the country’s history” (Buchanan et. al.). George Floyd's death was very controversial, however many people throughout the world had a belief that what had happened was not okay considering the way that the arrest took place as well as how the officers involved reacted. Although a horrible event, May 5th, 2020, changed the world completely. During this march that took place during June, marchers wore faces masks, held signs and posters, and also yelled out chants for everyone to hear. When the participants got to the field where everyone gathered, everyone “knelt for nine minutes, many with one fist raised, to mark the approximate time an officer had his knee on Floyd’s neck” (Bosma). After this happened, several people took turns speaking while being in the center of everyone for over an hour. The people who spoke decided to talk about their reactions, opinions, and even, for some, their daily struggles with racism and discrimination. This whole protest all started by Tahmoush posting on social media, which eventually turned into hundreds of people around the area taking a strong march throughout the town of Hopedale to show our solidarity with the movement and protest of the tragic event that took place just recently before. As “Jackson Tahmoush told the assembled crowd, shouting to be heard by those in the back, several yards away. ‘We’re all here for the same reason…it’s not politics. It's human rights” (Bosma). The reason I chose this specific quotation from the article discussing the Hopedale protest is because it made me really focus on the matter that all the controversy that was going on was becoming complete BS to me. I had heard so many people, specifically the older generation, talk about how this was all politics, and that George's death was all for politics, considering the election was just a few months around the corner. It is sad to think that people think that way and do not simply feel as if it happened because of bad cops and racism combined. The main reason why I decided to include this specific artifact was because I was there at this exact protest. Being from Milford, just one town away from Hopedale, I have grown up with a lot of diversity around me. When I heard what happened and the news about the Black Lives Matter movement and the death of George Floyd by police brutality, it really angered me. I do not want to keep continuing living in a world where racism is shown and projected every day. As a white teenager, it is hard to relate to those that have gone through discrimination because of their race because I have not. I chose to go to this protest because Black lives matter to me, and I wanted to bring attention to the fact that human rights should be given to everyone. No one is different on the inside just because of the color of their skin, nor should they be treated differently because of how they look compared to someone of a different race. I wanted to connect my experience, and I think by choosing this artifact I was able to do that. I was able to show what happened throughout one of my own communities and allow others to get a feeling of how different towns handled the riots, protests, and overall backlash of George Floyd's death. Thankfully, the protest here in Hopedale that I went to was peaceful unlike other places in the United States, where things became violent. One major thing that connects to my exhibition is that cultural heritage was created throughout the protest. This artifact shows several people kneeling for a movement that had stricken many throughout the world. What people do not see is that this movement happened with just a touch of a button on social media. One post was made about it, and the next thing you know it was given huge attention across the entire Hopedale community as well as the surrounding towns. So many people heard about it because of people from all generations sharing the post and details of the march. This is showing cultural heritage because it's allowing for both the past and present to come together. The past is all of the discrimination, racism, and police brutality that has happened throughout history. Because of the history of all these, many people became fed up with it and wanted to fix the problem and try to make a change in the world. Thankfully, because of technology and social media, this was able to happen. If there was no social media or anyone who had cared, then George Floyd's death would not have been as broadcasted. I believe that all these protests that happened made a huge change throughout the world when it comes to racism and police brutality. Hopefully, the world continues to see this issue as a problem every day and not just a trend, because Black lives will always matter. Bibliography Bosma, Alison. “Show of solidarity.” Milford Daily News, Milford Daily <a href="https://www.milforddailynews.com/story/news/local/2020/06/04/hundreds-march-for-justice-in-hopedale/42437473/">https://www.milforddailynews.com/story/news/local/2020/06/04/hundreds-march-for-justice-in-hopedale/42437473/</a> Buchanan, Larry, et. al. “Black Lives Matter May Be the Largest Movement in U.S. History.” The New York Times, 3 July 2020, www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/07/03/us/george-floyd-protests-crowd-size.html. Artifact Owner Daily News and Wicked Local Catalog Entry Author(s) Leah Gorham, Student, Fitchburg State University Photographer(s) Dan Holmes ALFA Mentor Gail Hoar Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Show of Solidarity ALFA Black Lives Matter curatorial activism writing II spring 2021 https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/33439/archive/files/3fea1dcf045108630bd34ae5a0df01d0.png?Expires=1779926400&Signature=ck-Spzjd7hHZePv5ekvRHg6inLi5u2h6ic1mf483PXPWfNz-D%7EB-wWGsDREMlDrWMuLC8KjyqeCTY4B2vPNL-hyIPuq2%7EsvJrnfXhN8yZhlOhXVRq0mZV2Q9%7E1hKXHAHpxG9HUs18raWHCG6SRnuNaaFAZehuWDk8SdF3Sdggroln9P6eliWP1OGoFb5OLuvCEW0hq3f7uestoau8J%7E6i1gLlJiSqE1k2v62TkJb-OjfyXskARahx6P0wr3GPNqQXDe67qmoALB%7ExqWhHcZmQIjnt9cYdTRpEADLDxpT7ZQym8fZXcMzJzY8mn4t5uHraWzHObigCecmt5niSI1seA__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 8a700cb9cadb44f8e8fde296b4be11c7 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource ALFA Mini-Exhibitions Still Image Catalog Entry As almost everyone is aware from recent and past events during the last year and this present year of 2021, the Black Lives Matter movement has swept all across the nation. It started off in just Minneapolis, Minnesota, and before we knew it, the movement had spread all over the to different states and countries within just a few weeks. However, as much as the movement has done its job at creating a continuing change in the world, there have been a few events that had taken place based off of getting justice and standing up for what is right. In the artifact that is above, I chose a picture of a statue of Christopher Columbus. However, you would not know it was him because his stone head was broken off by civilians throughout the community of Boston, MA. This action did not happen in just one state: “protesters in Massachusetts, Minnesota and Virginia have targeted statues of Christopher Columbus, damaging or pulling down three in a matter of days” (Machemer). This specific incident took place in the “North End’s waterfront around 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday” (Dwyer). Some people may ask: why was the statue of Christopher Columbus taken down? Well, my answer to that is because, to several people out there in the world, Christopher Columbus is considered a “representative of slavery or colonial oppression” (Dwyer), causing people to want to tear down the statues. With the Black Lives Matter movement going on, the toppling of these statues was seen as a move to make a change in the world to lead in the correction of a figure who was taught to generations that he was good for our country. People wanted to prove a point that Christopher Columbus actually was not. In the United States school system, it is taught to children that Columbus discovered America, however there are some facts that were left out of the lesson that people now want to bring attention to. Charlie Duffield stated that “the Italian explorer is responsible for the genocide and exploitation of native peoples in the Americas," as well as that Christopher Columbus “was a murderer of indigenous people, mainstreaming the genocidal culture against indigenous people." A reaction to this was hatred and disrespect from communities of all kinds, including those who are Indigenous. As a result, from this research and new understanding that Christopher Columbus was racist and more than just a figure of history who “discovered America,” Columbus Day which is typically celebrated on the second Monday of October each year, is now being called by some people “Indigenous Day.” I support this decision in calling it Indigenous Day because why would I want to celebrate someone who was cruel and racist? I specifically chose this picture to use as my artifact simply because I think it brings a good closing to my exhibition theme. I chose Black Lives Matter because it is an important movement to me, and I have learned so much about it, and the reasons behind the movement. My knowledge has grown immensely on this topic. The Black Lives Matter movement has been broadcasted by many around the world, and the situation of the statues being torn down, I think, has been an eye-opening ordeal to many people. I had not known about Columbus and his racist past and what he had done to Indigenous people. I think that bringing attention to who he was and tearing down his head off the statue will help to publicize this new idea of him. Black Lives Matter includes people of all types of races that support the movement. The whole point of this movement is to bring an awareness and change to how people of color and of other races are treated. The only way things will change is by communities making that change themselves. Being silent is not an option when it comes to broadcasting a movement. By tearing off Christopher Columbus’s head, people will want to know why and learn what he did. Standing up to racist people is a big part of the movement, so if that means making a change to previous history landmarks that are honoring racism, then so be it. As mentioned before, I do not care to support a holiday that honors someone who was racist. This opinion, I am sure, can cause a lot of backlash from the public, especially from older white generations. This is a topic I want to touch on because I think bringing attention to it can teach a lot of people who do not have the knowledge that others do. As someone who is white, I did not know anything about Columbus, other than that he had “discovered America.” Why would I know anything else about him, especially if that is all we were taught about as kids in school? Someone who is Indigenous though may know more about it because Columbus targeted their race and culture. The main point I am trying to make is that I have noticed that people do not pay attention or care about an issue until it really affects them or someone they love. Although I grew up where there was a decent amount of diversity, I had not been close to anyone who went through discrimination or racism, so to me as a younger kid it was as if it did not exist. After growing up and meeting new people and befriending people of all races and living through 2020 with the protests and Black Lives Matter movement, I have been made more aware of it. I think that school systems should start teaching more about racism and discrimination when it comes to the past because what is happening in the present day right now is just as important as what happened in the past and was caused by it. By not teaching new generations about racism and racist figures, it goes against support of Black Lives Matter. The whole movement is trying to bring attention to the subject of police brutality, discrimination, and racism against people of the African-American race, and I think that by teaching all kids about it, no matter what their race is, then they will grow up to know what is right and what is wrong. This goes especially when it comes to racism and discrimination. Kids will be able to point it out and hopefully stand up to wrongful acts. Bibliography Duffield, Charlie. “Here's Why Statues of Christopher Columbus Are Being Pulled Down.” Inews, 12 July 2020, https://inews.co.uk/news/christopher-columbus-racist-statues-pulled-down-us-prorests-explorer-443647. Dwyer, Dialynn. “Head Removed from Christopher Columbus Statue in Boston.” Boston.com, 10 June 2020, https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2020/06/10/christopher-columbus-statue-beheaded-boston. Machemer, Theresa. “Christopher Columbus Statues Beheaded, Pulled Down Across America.” Smithsonian Magazine, 12 June 2020, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/christopher-columbus-statues-beheaded-torn-down-180975079/. Catalog Entry Author(s) Leah Gorham, Student, Fitchburg State University Photographer(s) Tim Bradbury ALFA Mentor Gail Hoar Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Beheaded Boston Christopher Columbus Statue ALFA Black Lives Matter curatorial activism writing II spring 2021 https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/33439/archive/files/4a007cf2078af335b678838733470237.png?Expires=1779926400&Signature=SpdH-PI-9ylY2oOs7AUT1fNnovIjldjE%7EZZHeo1cdnfT67-RMk%7EIafXYOk9hsEteVtJvpVRhSAlGgR3sbukunXOR5Ir17MZq-KcdSloUbRZ4HH6b4ld%7EtNjblHAfVrBMsPSsMmOFB8q-VBgLg97Z-dtLaEToEQsNsezcOGtCfa8wBmCoC1rhVNdUAui1rrxQmFmO4tSa3H1CeXHJ2P-P2F5l6AuoHMF3H0UKjkfD5D0EBqZBSQp-7Zt8T49X5Of3bspfiD67xSbuWRjK8Ph3ppKa8WEEQ1bTskNq1hkca5Jgt69dVQDkxSWt%7EcEEgrs4OxFjPFGgKLNhliaGdvPDCg__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 3b97b2b1c7b6b40c278f70334735d425 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource ALFA Mini-Exhibitions Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource ALFA Mini-Exhibitions https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/33439/archive/files/b8d92620159cd08930612ce975766ef6.png?Expires=1779926400&Signature=bbKqjtJX8D5ZxaLvS5X-YbUcGtI4L4oXDdk41NNPrtIg0oQVx83Maq31fH5d7stPRvY8-mkBvEnBkK9qo2onEkfpPrS%7E1kAjaWTRo6H5z4SOsBJ4ZOmRaADHl3JOiJX0qWNxg5%7E2Xet6G4OIUEeks5weyHFG8qo%7EO-3c5aeeSsxe6WivoTQa5hjIKdrRk6vSYFYkkUv-hGgp8Fd%7Er5fM%7EMnw3Ce0TL6hiRpVvQatra5niI8VgMa%7EPSBfUzqLHK-Z635YXZD3lM8CXONVtUbgWv%7EyziqkVOF0L%7ENYl7KI0ASdGtCRTurlkYsMZNoEXj0-FITBKVsCEUG1TtteEf3T0A__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM a4c7fc3bf5202476da03306a6eb428b7 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource ALFA Mini-Exhibitions Still Image Catalog Entry Boston Strong is one thing you will often see when reading about the Marathon bombings. These two words mean so much to many people from Boston as they show how the community is strong together. In this image, you can see a prosthetic leg with a “Boston Strong” sticker on it. This leg belongs to Roseann Sdoia, who is a Boston marathon bombing survivor. The leg has a special meaning to it as I believe it shows great strength and resilience. I believe this because of the “Boston Strong” message on it. I love the fact that this is on the leg because in the bombing many people lost limbs and need to have prosthetics just like this. It's hard going through this, but strength can get them through this. It's a beautiful image and beautiful prosthetic leg because it shows the struggle that many needed to go through in order to live a normal life again, but also how many are using these two words to remind themselves to stay strong and power through. Sdoia is now a motivational speaker and an author. She isn’t the type of person who is shy of her lack of a leg. In fact in a gig she was walking up to the stage and swung up her prosthetic leg and refused help from others. She says it is something she would have done before this and that she does anything that makes her feel less disabled. I think this is a good example of how she is strong. It shows that even with this setback she still tries to be herself and think about what she would have done before this traumatic event. Instead of being hurt by this she continues to be herself and be strong throughout her journey. Still after many years, according to Sdoia she still wakes up and thinks, “Oh my god I don't have a leg.” She talks about no matter how much she sees it she still has trouble really thinking about what happened to her leg. After experiencing such a traumatic event, to get a prosthetic leg is a hard task. Replacing your own leg with a fake metal leg could be an unsual feeling. Instead of complaining about it Sdoia worked to live her life normally again with her new leg. In the photo she is attempting to walk with the help of parallel bars to guide her forward. I think to do something like this requires great strength. Not many people get put in the position where you have to adapt your life to this new lifestyle. Truthfully, I know this would be hard for me. Everyday I use all my limbs for everything and for that to be taken away from me I would not know how to act and how to live my life, when walking from my room to the bathroom, or going to the dining hall, or even driving my car. We use these limbs for everything for our lives. This prosthetic leg shows a lot of strength because many in the world may not be able to live like that. Yet Sdoia is able to push through because she is Boston Strong. Bibliography Bebinger, Martha. “Marathon Bombing Victim Makes Strides Toward Her New Normal.” WBUR, 24 Sept. 2013, www.wbur.org/commonhealth/2013/09/24/marathon-bombing-victim-makes-strides-towar d-her-new-normal. Smith, Tovia. “Sharing Lessons Of Resilience, 5 Years After The Boston Bombing.” NPR, 15 Apr. 2018, www.npr.org/2018/04/15/601816832/sharing-lessons-of-resilience-5-years-after-the-boston -bombing. Catalog Entry Author(s) Harold Peterson, Student, Fitchburg State University ALFA Mentor Bill Ayadi Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Boston Strong ALFA boston disability massachusetts prosthetics writing II spring 2021 https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/33439/archive/files/7f3693c1b598716bd677239b3cde9748.png?Expires=1779926400&Signature=qJLBi90pu4ob3AY8z0bD78GvgqZrdgWsG2nPGqoODga4RCbFWUAp9UCfZtDkjBksa6le6iVvK%7EeCYl6kZHOlbfKw1-POok%7Eq3cfXHjIAdsFK66lAXcdEXkhhR68J3lkghoofhzcow0uRWRyIxBgUMwqvB7VjMLc78o9QSHG7kCclM9%7E-H3yHqZwNJ2bTw8-qKXHJ0Rk3kGexPKeFm1kw%7EIWADqvu%7EYXWBfH14YpBYhT0dwIa-HKJgYHFTuGiRM8%7Eiq3xCmCqlFLJeCLVKx6QCszlf7zBwzUXV%7EGoW88hDmI7eV-aTExxT-q1FozatYdmXmTi7TeRLTyli8sU7VB1yQ__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 45379b4ec68b542283bcf1989376061f Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource ALFA Mini-Exhibitions Still Image Catalog Entry The Boston Marathon bombing was one of the most traumatic events for our state. Especially if you were there the memories may scar you forever. It may not have been the main motive, but one motive for the bombings was to scare us. The terrorists wanted to make us fear them, but we wouldn’t let that happen. It is a horrible act to inflict on anyone and to do it at a happy and joyful event hurts a lot. A moment that inspired many was David Ortiz when he spoke at a Red Sox game. Ortiz stepped out there as a Bostonian and a leader. He told everyone “This is our (blank) city!” letting everyone know not to be fearful. I can say from my perspective that, seeing this from a well-known Boston athlete that I myself idolized, made me feel a lot better. I will admit after the bombing I as well as many others were in fear. Many people wondered where the bombers could be and what they might do next. It was a hard time, but with the help of others we became fearless and stronger together. The speech was very small. Ortiz said later that it wasn’t planned and came rolling off his tongue. Yet this speech hit so many people in such a positive way, giving them comfort in a tough situation. Another example of fearlessness among Bostonians is Rebekah Gregory. Gregory is a Boston Marathon bombing survivor and lost a leg in the blast. It caused her to change her life and how she functioned. Being in such a traumatic event and losing your leg because of it could cause so much fear and PTSD. Even with the harsh memories of the day and the permanent memory of that event with her missing leg, she decided to go back and participate in the race two years after. To be able to do something like this is very empowering. To go back to the place that changed your life forever and scared you is hard. She did not only just go back, but she completed the whole race. From start to finish, she ran through the race. In order to do this race she had to train to get used to running with her new leg. Doing this showed how fearless she was. The very same event that flipped her life forever, she went back to without fear and finished it. There were some others just like Gregory that showed strength and fearlessness. Patrick Downes and Adrianne Haslet were two of the other survivors that ran in the race again. It takes a lot to step back out there. There are many stories about people who have been resilient in their recovery and fearless along the way. One person is Sydney Corcoran. Sydney was another survivor from the Marathon bombings that showed a lot of perserversance through her recovery. In an article published by Global News, they had survivors return to the finish line to see their reaction and how they felt. Sydney said her message was “You Can Scare Me, But You Cannot Stop Me” (“Boston Marathon Bombing Survivors Share Stories in Powerful Photo Series.”). I think this shows a great example of how she was strong and fearless. As said earlier this event has the ability to scar you, but she said she won't let it stop her. These are just more and more examples of people showing Boston Strong, and showing that we continue to live our lives freely without fear. I also didn’t let it affect my life either. It was a scary time after the bombing because no one knew where the bombers were. The bombing took enough away from many people’s lives. My family and I went out to Skyzone, which is a trampoline park in Hyde Park a couple of days after the bombing. On our way over we listened to updates on the search. It felt weird because we didn’t know where the bombers could be, but we wanted to live our lives and have fun. The point of going wasn’t to be reckless or a rebel because many were told to stay inside. It was because we believed that we should not fear them. The point of the attack was to push fear onto us and make us scared to go out. I didn’t want them to win, nor did I want them to think they have power over us. As David Ortiz said, “This is our city,” and no one will take that away from us. Bibliography “Boston Marathon Bombing Survivors Share Stories in Powerful Photo Series.” Global News, 2014, globalnews.ca/news/1269108/boston-marathon-bombing-survivors-share-stories-in-powerf ul-portrait-series/amp/. Catalog Entry Author(s) Harold Peterson, Student, Fitchburg State University ALFA Mentor Bill Ayadi Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Fearless athletics boston massachusetts writing II spring 2021 https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/33439/archive/files/f0d8bcdcbe23b3b84d169ba212a5eff0.png?Expires=1779926400&Signature=dvG3GkwKzBixPL36IgabP%7EFnGgtvr-k9Dt0kjZZAr05i8DTxD5uYzGFEiheSPRykWtcGNNIjUhVBOUZM61NhwaIx2KTKDSh2D0%7ESTGJ8AuQKrXEm3Rgn74nrxPzYqke%7EeyJyRttIedWKAW4GLEPmdWDuqkIkwpMq-5x2ONlwAseAAgmVuYu8%7ENu36EQ-PoWuLBfoshPnfQQOieNe0XljoTVJAG2DhaJHKn7y7Arhzs3xyZ5sHwzGx4roMQfF%7E%7EfIqhMyqOMoXqhRn5brUw7xaJ-QWiapa3HJsHd2-WKPsgek8Ng0Kb0moXGQwJcldg1kbDkC6iHRsKBWXlnAC3KRSA__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 2d8290885d708b2fd28a0410f2bf5fc0 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource ALFA Mini-Exhibitions Still Image Catalog Entry This artifact is a sign of the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox logos with “United We Stand” in the middle. While this isn’t all the ways that Boston showed being united, it shows a big factor of what united really means and how we should all come together in times of need. The rivalry between the Yankees and the Red Sox is unlike no other. For years upon years there has been lots of talk between the fans and tension between the two sides. Overall, they both dislike each other's team and fanbase to the point they may even decide if they like you or not based upon your fandom. It is almost like a different personality. For two sides to come together like this is really what united means. In times of need, we need to stay together and get through it together to make it easier. Being from Boston I see the hate for this sports team from New York, and I love that even though the two fanbases hate each other they throw that aside to help each other. They understand it is a horrible time and that little disputes can be put to the side in order to help recover from the trauma. I think this shows a great way of coming together and shows the importance of being together in tough times. Unity in Boston came immediately after the bombings as well. Immediately, many jumped into action to help the injured even though they had no idea whether there would be another bomb going off or what even just happened. All they knew was there were people in need of help and all worked together. Doctors, plumbers, teachers, etc., all worked together to help. It didn’t matter the career, race, or religion; multiple people united together to help anyone that needed them. One example of a person who did a great act was Joe Andruzzi. Andruzzi was a former offensive lineman for the Patriots, and he carried a women from the scene of the blast the day of the bombings. Andruzzi understood that he needed to help, and he stepped up to help someone that couldn’t help themselves. He released a statement afterwards saying, “While I appreciate the interest in hearing our perspective on today's horrific events, the spotlight should remain firmly on the countless individuals — first responders, medics, EMTs, runners who crossed the finish line and kept on running straight to give blood, and the countless civilians who did whatever they could to save lives. They were the true heroes. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by this senseless tragedy." (Colbert). What Andruzzi said was right. People did not need to hear the point of views of the people there at that time, but all focus should be on the victims and the first responders who stepped in to help anyone in need. Another great story from after the bombing was Carlos Arredondo. Many people may know him as the cowboy hat man from a photo of him helping someone taken right after the bombs went off. Arredondo ran in and helped the injured like the man he helped in the photo. He was seen assisting to push a man with both legs blown off in the blast in a wheelchair away from everything to get help. This act of kindness is unlike anything you can do for a person. The man injured was completely unable to move and had to rely on someone to bring him to help, and Arredondo was that person. Arredondo had already lost two sons, one to war and one to suicide; he knew he could not stand back and watch. According to an article, “he saw the frightened eyes of Jeff Bauman, a young man whose legs had been blown off below the knees. Where once were shins, ankles and feet, now there were only protruding bones. It was a ghastly sight” (Mayo). Carlos then made a tourniquet from a piece of a sweater on one leg as another person does the other leg. Carlos didn’t even know Bauman's name nor did he know the other person who was helping save him. One thing they did have in common was they knew what needed to be done to help people and that showed a sense of unity in the Boston community. The unity of people in Boston right after the bombings was a beautiful sight because we saw that many are willing to help each other out that much. Unity is what keeps a community together. Without unity a community would be separated and the ability to work together doesn’t exist. I believe that after the bombings all of Boston was joined as a whole. All needed physical and emotional help, and many did whatever they could to provide it. After the bombings we saw many acts of kindness from the community and visitors to Boston. It didn’t matter what kind of person they were, where they came from, because all had the same idea to help the injured. That is what united Boston, the sense of heroic instinct and the thought to help anyone that needed it. Bibliography Colbert, Annie. “10 Touching Acts of Kindness at the Boston Marathon.” Mashable, 16 Apr. 2013, mashable.com/2013/04/16/boston-marathon-acts-of-kindness/. Mayo, Michael. “Fame In A Flash: The Carlos Arredondo Story.” South Florida Sun Sentinel, 15 Apr. 2013, interactive.sun-sentinel.com/bostoncarlos/. Catalog Entry Author(s) Harold Peterson, Student, Fitchburg State University ALFA Mentor Bill Ayadi Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource United We Stand ALFA athletics boston massachusetts writing II spring 2021 https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/33439/archive/files/fa4b31d20e9be624d04a517d24cf3aef.jpg?Expires=1779926400&Signature=HOQ5Z4hIxWceVomne-tUQacUEKsSnr286GcEL2WnvWgPymka6Y2l%7E1G0M4nTSLgiDJxyu-QUDtENsVpBW-0pZ1Z86ngjYl%7EKJ7899AzKxEOChvCnCQCeCHIcUCudY80nGki9mRDRN-f4mhoX6uZlDkxRM8dVTfu56E90AHiGWeW%7EAyb2NtdhIqsJcaPj6VenGVPI%7EjPbkbmIpAez05H48KZH%7EQXXB%7E6NhUMIVhLivIHRZufEVzLMEaiBtFhxYBB-DEfsClDMpkgmWSUFc%7EG8EjpW9mdpWZkofqPusKjP6hE1UGHaqLTxlfQ0i2fwiuBUhQxXxYB1G2B3Cf1F1hiS3w__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 08a7114d2335bc27f0fe8cb37ff241e0 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource ALFA Mini-Exhibitions Still Image Catalog Entry The Boston Museum of Fine Arts has taken up many different excavations in many places in the world that hold historical significance. The location I would like to talk about is one of the more well-known historical cultures of the past, the Egyptians. This history-rich culture is known for some of the most large-scale excavations that have revealed countless famous artifacts from an ancient time. The one I am bringing to attention today is the sculpture of King Ptahkhenuwy and his wife and the connection it has with my idea concerning museums. At first glance, the sculpture itself seemed to have no extraordinary meaning besides the outstanding condition it was found in preserved under one of the three Pyramids of Giza. That quickly changed once I dug a little deeper and expanded my research into how exactly the Museum of Fine Arts Boston interacted with the Egyptian government when handling these important excavations. The sheer amount of relics that were being uncovered in these digs is unbelievable, and when culturally-important artifacts were found the excavation group had some talks with the Egyptian government about what they wished to take back for display purposes and what should remain to allow local researchers and museums an opportunity to restore some of the more untouched pieces. This interaction between peoples gave me some positive feedback into the artifacts I had been looking to research for this project. My whole dilemma with museums and excavation teams going into these sites was the amount of artifacts and relics found and the amount made available to the people and culture they belonged to. So when I heard about the widespread sharing of resources and restoration plans of these relics under the care of both the Egyptian government and the many museums who had formed the excavation teams, it gave me some peace of mind that it was a positive and equal exchange. In recent years it has been hard enough for people of our own country to get along with our governing bodies and even each other, so to see such positive and successful relations dating back to 1906 and continuing to present day sparks hope. The statue of King Ptahkhenuwy and his wife holds importance to Egyptian history and the royal families who built up the empire that went on to be buried in the Pyramids of Giza. The statue was found in the third Pyramid of Giza, which was dedicated to Ptahkhenuwy himself. There were many sculptures and pieces of art depicting him in similar forms throughout his burial chambers, but I chose this artifact for a few different reasons. This statue in particular is one of the few artifacts that have defied time and remained almost fully painted throughout the thousands of years that separate its creation to its discovery. Although it was restored with a fresh coat and protective layers to preserve the piece the condition must have been a true sight to behold for the excavators. Lovely condition aside, I also chose this artifact because I found it to be important to Egyptian culture but also not one of a kind; the statue itself had multiple depictions on many different slabs of stone, limestone, etc. It both carried weight as a valuable and cherished Egpytian artifact and as a piece that could be put on display to show the wonders of Egypt to those worlds away. This is the kind of artifact I would love to see more of in museums; to put a item of religious worship behind a glass panel could be seen as pretty unethical by a variety of groups of people while putting historical relics on display is much more appropriate. After even the most basic research and knowledge of how these excavations even got to happen I know there were countless talks with the government representatives and many back and forth negotiations on what can be kept, what should be put under care of the government run facilities, and so on. I hope I do show some sign of understanding in this discussion as I bring up the many questions and thoughts that come with my choice of exhibition. One of my bigger questions that first drew me to this artifact is how do the excavators go about the actual excavation and who sets the terms of what they can and can’t do while exploring the many tombs of Giza. Again after some quick research, I found the basic guidelines for excavating in government-protected sites and it all seemed simple enough. There is a large amount of qualifications; you need to even ask permission to mount an exploration team, and once you get to that point you have to meet with a party who controls and looks over the site and discuss the methods of excavation. So I just wonder how safe the Egyptian officials thought dynamite mining was when the Boston team showed up with plenty of explosives to face the many deep underground sections of Giza and its vast underground network of tombs and burial chambers? Bibliography "Pair Statue of Ptahkhenuwy and His Wife – Works – Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Boston Museum of Fine Arts." Museum of Fine Arts Boston. collections.mfa.org/objects/137139/pair-statue-of-ptahkhenuwy-and-his-wife?ctx= e72069ed-27c2-4c69-ac68-a84fb40db086&idx=8. Trader, Patrick. "Guidelines for Phase I, II, and III Archaeological Investigations and Technical Report Preparation, West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office." WVCulture. www.wvculture.org/shpo/techreportguide/guidelines.html. Artifact Owner Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Catalog Entry Author(s) Dominic Malo, Student, Fitchburg State University Photographer(s) <a href="collections.mfa.org/objects/137139/pair-statue-of-ptahkhenuwy-and-his-wife?ctx=%20e72069ed-27c2-4c69-ac68-a84fb40db086&idx=8">Photo courtesy of Museum of Fine Arts, Boston</a> ALFA Mentor Veda Ross Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Museum of Fine Arts Boston ALFA boston egypt massachusetts MFA writing II spring 2021 https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/33439/archive/files/adfcc7f903e2dadc1ba09204c780fb34.jpeg?Expires=1779926400&Signature=NZn4sbwuJGHBtZU69ZeOeYILZSZAi0NxWtAk%7Ec%7EhOcdD6rkuXj-KsN92VUY7UZHB6OPNLVYX5iyQx6DvLoru1Kvc2XCx35W1IFo2UxL3hT1htgbb%7EFr15-dkuEOTckiAHFRE03H5DaVwt8S7V0-Co8ZMIuhtVLiqLLcFlYqgM0TGzY-7l-X%7E5a4S38HNMpRFzr1dDJby8rw5HlQKudEeG2LGGGTwLd4Tp7ZaT3LJowjVxkNr9c9th6difKJYOMwlSN6XXtQrRNBcRN1NU1d5xLtrgUCRf%7Ed%7Ep8HT7ag4jMijnScCzOljwwVn9FXaXM7kJ2UwmVZ0sw%7EIgHN1gYk4pQ__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 37db3c104751d0d62bff13159361de71 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource ALFA Mini-Exhibitions Still Image Catalog Entry The artifact I would like to talk about is not necessarily a piece of history you can hold in your hand or observe to take in the art style and history of other cultures. It is a door to discover more than the surface of learning. My theme revolves around trying to spread knowledge without having to excavate and hold important artifacts in museums in foreign countries. The library I decided to take as an artifact is one of New England's oldest and largest places of learning, the Boston Public Library. The premise of museums is you go and look at relics of old and you read a small summary for a few minutes and move on to the next exhibit and so on. I believe if true learning and interest can be sparked it can be nourished in the walls of a different building, that of a library not a museum. There is a basic appeal to visiting museums and looking at parts of history and getting a glimpse of other cultures' art, lifestyles, etc. When you go to libraries such as Boston’s Public Library you can get a hold of something much better than a one-hundred-word summary on artifacts, other cultures, and other parts of the world altogether. When I chose this theme to discuss I started off as thinking certain artifacts in certain museums should be given back to their rightful lands and peoples, but I think this artifact gave me a different light after exploring this thought more. Overall the goal of museums in my eyes is to inspire younger children to like history and to get them to learn in a relaxed environment, and to visit a Library the goal is to get work done and study. I find this confusing because libraries and museums should go hand in hand; they both offer knowledge and access to material on foreign, local, and all kinds of historical information, so why are museums so much more popular than libraries? To continue the question on my mind, I have to ask why are libraries only seen as a resource to use for study and not as a place to learn in recent years? In my opinion if kids were to be given one day in a library instead of museum they would be able to learn so much more and then some. However, museums have the appeal of being able to walk through exhibits and show the past in collections, while making it seem like no work or learning is being forced onto you. Why has there been no push to integrate these two forms of storage for knowledge and cultural relics before? In my research I found very few museums with dedicated libraries that came along with the rest of their collections. It seems like such a wasted opportunity to not establish this relationship between reading and observing history in these two similar places. Ideally I would see someone walking through an exhibit being fascinated with an Egyptian artifact and then going a mere few steps and finding a library with access to all kinds of Egpytian-based texts, historical records, and more. Would merging these two ideas not solve the flaws that come with these two places of learning? Museums' ease and relax observational aspects to draw in the crowd and the libraries' knowledge and availability of texts and extended research for learning would make for an excellent combination. When I was researching the Boston Library's history I found an amazing collection of investors, both government and private, donating these amazing sums of money and books over the many decades since its creation. This came as no major shock since public facilities normally come from generous donations to allow the greater masses to enjoy its benefits, but what did catch my attention was the amount of appreciation for this library in particular. Its popularity compared to the Boston Museum of Fine arts was astounding; the Boston Public Library averages around over four to five million visitors per year to research, work, and study in their walls while the Boston Museum of Fine Arts has an average of only one million visitors. The majority of these visitors to the library are working students and those researching topics for their jobs, future careers, or personal interests, while the MFA's visitor count leans heavily towards younger audiences and family-related trips. The Boston Public Library is my example of what learning could be in the future if libraries could create exhibit-like wings in relation to the type of learning/area of learning. Would it not draw in more people and help develop both interest for learning and the amount of information learned? In my opinion there is a lack of the desire to learn and an even greater gap in the accessibility to learn for early education, and this idea could be a possible solution. I grew up in the years before technology really started becoming a popular tool in learning and was taught subjects through books in the local library after being assigned projects on certain cultures or periods of history. And I believe I can say with confidence having spent all that time in books and researching topic after topic, it can spark a kid's attention and lead them to learn so much more than opening up a tablet and looking up answers on Google. In a very similar manner when visiting museums as a kid I loved seeing all the different ancient cultures and their artifacts that represented them in the exhibits, but if you ask me about the museum exhibits I can probably recall one out of the hundreds I've been to while being able to still remember the Egyptian gods after ten years since I lasted studied them. So to wrap my thoughts up, I would like to ask once more: why not try to aim for an inbetween of these two centers of learning for the better of the new generations? Bibliography “About Us.” Boston Public Library, www.bpl.org/about-us/. “Annual Report.” Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, www.mfa.org/about/annual-report. “BPL History.” Boston Public Library, www.bpl.org/bpl-history/. Catalog Entry Author(s) Dominic Malo, Student, Fitchburg State University ALFA Mentor Veda Ross Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Boston Public Library ALFA boston massachusetts writing II spring 2021 https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/33439/archive/files/d741cc1f5e14f7e62e8a9359fe15dc68.jpg?Expires=1779926400&Signature=sSsGW%7Ee36BMJEF8L4LGAaucZqmXvBps0VLVKn%7E8a8UVPLm%7EwQx8ZQRYSoIWBWdoqS90KaCocG8LupbCveQ7tBL9WW4DiRg7C9oy%7ECW4NQAjfO8TKpb5i7wDn36vGiT5le9t2BeD2HrPHTL-EyObrhrYTPBO9%7EzMK2x4QcIDlgXn-et20TDVoY-U5SW88TskUJQlHzwzXstQPYaA2bf4jy3cU13tralkuPuS%7EOvQMcjXjHU1JVUoLAteJVKkHf3BUGj5%7EihZxFbz-GTSGgNNXlvlae%7EhqC%7EDqgevDDiNjYDpOx8oQrD9MnFCl6DEZwQJh5iB9eXa4ZuV1rqJIoRHaSg__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 1d920326b38d9a9016db5c621e862673 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource ALFA Mini-Exhibitions Still Image Catalog Entry While scouring the internet for possible artifacts, I had the mind to search for libraries and museums who had already taken my idea of further learning into action to see how many existed, if any at all. I came across a museum in New York named the Morgan Library and Museum, which seemed to be exactly what I had been imagining in my head. It is an almost perfect example of exactly the kind of learning younger kids should be getting when they go to visit a museum; there is art, artifacts, books, and all sorts of displays and collections to enjoy and read. The Museum and Library are not one in the same make as the library portion is set in its own space, which varies a little off what I was hoping to find, but the idea to move the two buildings together was in place, and this made it a solid candidate to talk about for my exhibition. The ideal setup I would like to imagine a museum should have is the various collections and exhibits broken up into their own spaces with a small reading section for each with books documenting that culture's history and describing artifacts in more detail. On the other hand the Morgan Library has its own small displays within its covered shelves and offers ample opportunities to study more about the various collections within its walls. This is the early stages of encouraging both young and old visitors to take a chance to slow down and learn more about these amazing artifacts of history and the cultures that created and founded them. If learning about the world’s history is still important, I believe this could be an extremely effective way of showing the younger audience how fun and easy reading can be. One thing I found interesting about the Morgan Library and Museum is its history and many different opportunities it has and still provides to those who visit its halls. The building is funded by both government funds and private donations to keep its halls stocked and buildings sustained, making it openly available to the public with additional benefits provided by the generous donors. One of these benefits is the college programs they offer; this gives students a chance to take internships, fellowships, and even long-term employment for those looking for jobs in fields of study and researching various cultures, history, etc. Many students benefit greatly from these openings and are given a chance to open their lives to the study halls and extensive collection of books the library offers in their research. This is the kind of furthering learning that is actively benefiting students' lives and allowing them chances to earn money, establish relations with recommendations and referrals, and give them access to all sorts of reading materials for their studies. I love this idea of supplying people with this kind of knowledge and availability to aid them in their growth as students, professionals, and researchers alike. If more museums had this kind of funding and insight, then I believe the growing number of students would be able to prosper and find ample opportunities to increase their growth and pursuit for knowledge. If museums like the Morgan are so beneficial, how come there is so little demand for this kind of educational haven for students in this society that deems schooling so important? I believe that the social norm of learning has become going to school and spending 5-8 hours in classes studying various subjects has become a standard method of teaching. From my perspective it almost looks like people have forgotten that there are opportunities to learn outside of the walls of a high school or college campuses. If you introduce children to museums and libraries like the Boston Library, the Morgan, or even your local library, you give them a chance to expand their interest in learning to grow that much more. I know from personal experience that some museum visits in middle school and high school were made because we were exploring a topic in our classes and would go to these museums to show off the topics in the form of the various displays and exhibits these museums held. I feel as if these trips were both beneficial and hurt our education because some could interpret the idea of going to places like the museums and libraries in our areas as only places to look at displays and materials available to complete work and to not search for potential interests. A question I would like to ask is instead of assigning projects to research then visiting these museums and libraries to give chances to find information on these topics, why not just let the kids go to a museum or library of their choice and pick something that interests them? In my experience it is so much more motivational to write and research about topics you have even the slightest bit of interest in so would that not make more sense to encourage kids to seek their own interests at the point in their life where they have time to do so? I truly think it is a huge missed opportunity to provide younger kids a chance to find different historical periods, cultures, foreign countries, or even local lore when they still have the attention span and time to find it interesting. At further stages of learning in college I think it is evident that most students spend the majority of their time typing out essays and writing up homework for classes that they get burned out from the work. So why not introduce future hobbies, jobs, and personal interests in the fields of study that are shown off in libraries and museums? There are places in the world that are similar to my idea of a place of learning in which younger audiences can walk in and learn more than just what certain artifacts look like and where they are from. I love to see these opportunities to learn be provided to students both young and old from all these various places of learning, and I would love to see more show up in the future as we progress as a society. Bibliography "Home." The Morgan Library & Museum. Web. 28 Apr. 2021. McNeely, Talena. "Boston Historical Sites: 21 Must-See Stops for History Buffs." Tripster Travel Guide. 23 Jan. 2020. Web. 28 Apr. 2021. Catalog Entry Author(s) Dominic Malo, Student, Fitchburg State University Photographer(s) Kisha G. Tracy ALFA Mentor Veda Ross Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource New York Morgan Library and Museum ALFA new york writing II spring 2021