Donate
  • About
  • Rent College Pads
  • Advertise
  • Privacy
Search
News
Opinions
Sports
Classifieds
Comics
BMA
Events
Subscribe

Tuesday, May 30, 2023
Print Archive

Eastern Echo
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinions
  • Comics
  • Podcast
  • BMA
  • Events
  • Classifieds
  • Search
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinions
  • Comics
  • Podcast
  • BMA
  • Events
  • Classifieds
Search

Subscribe to the Echo

Donate to The Echo

You can support the Echo by donating through the EMU Foundation and selecting to apply your gift to a specific fund. Any of the funds listed below will provide support to the Echo.

01049 -- EMU Echo Editor Endowed Scholarship:  Provides financial support for the current EMU Echo Editor.

02414 -- Scott Stephenson Eastern Echo Scholarship:  This expendable scholarship is for the benefit of student(s) in the School of Communication, Media & Theater Arts in the College of Arts & Sciences.  It will be awarded to a full or part-time junior or senior EMU student majoring in journalism and working for the Eastern Echo.  The student should be working to self-finance their education and not be eligible for need-based grants.

00825 -- Student Media Development:  Provides support for the Student Media program.

Thank you for supporting the Echo and EMU Student Media.

Give Now


1/24/2022, 8:00am

EMU archivists create a mobile oral history recording booth to collect community stories

EMU archivists seek to collect stories from the Ypsilanti community.

By Marie White
EMU archivists create a mobile oral history recording booth to collect community stories

Share

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Mail
  • Print

Eastern Michigan University archivists have created a mobile oral history recording booth, dubbed the EMU Aerie, to record community stories.

The idea for the EMU Aerie came about in 2018 when Matt Jones, a graduate student then, wrote a grant proposal for an assignment in the historical preservation program. Matt had been digitizing old oral history interviews as a part of his student job with the archives.

“I love audio recording, fieldwork, talking to people, and history,” Jones, now a lecturer with EMU archives, said. “This seemed like an amazing way to blend that all together. People couldn't always come to us to be interviewed so this seemed like a great way to take the archives into the community rather than people coming to us.”

Jones’ proposal was rejected by Michigan Humanities Console and the project was put on the back burner. Someone that Jones had interviewed and become friends with was Irene Allen, a former professor from the College of Education. Allen asked to read the proposal and decided she would fund the project herself. 

Jones and Allen began looking at campers in March 2020 and later decided on purchasing a cargo trailer that they built up from scratch. Everything inside the Aerie was worked on over the summer and completed by the Aerie team with lots of outside help.

“We watched a lot of Youtube videos about how to install windows, ventilation, and insulation,” University archivist and assistant professor Alex Braun Marks said. 

Then the Aerie was fitted with graphics on the outside, with help by Ryan Molloy, a professor in the art department. A company in Ferndale wrapped the bus in less than a week before homecoming, their first debut. 

“The pandemic actually allowed us to sit with the goals of the Aerie and think about the accessibility of it, which worked to our benefit in the end,“ Marks said.

The back of the trailer opens up into a ramp, which makes the trailer open air and accessible to all. 

“We ended up with the perfect thing for us and made it as safe as possible for everyone,” Jones said. 

The goal of the Aerie is to get as many people's voices on record as possible. Their approach to the oral history program is two-fold.

"One half is sitting down with individuals (faculty, staff, alumni) and getting stories of life and the other half is topical-focused stories,” Mark said.

Their benefactor Irene Allen outfitted and funded the Aerie, but they have received unbelievable support from the Office of the Provost and University Librarian Rhoda Fowler.

“They let us run this program to build something and step aside to let us do that,” Marks said. “Without their support, we wouldn't be here.”

They took the Aerie out for the first time at EMU’s 100th homecoming for a soft launch and want to have a bigger launch for the project sometime in spring when the campus feels full again. Those interested in the bus can look out for the Aerie when things are warmer to tell their stories.

Share



Related Stories

Podcast: June 2, 2021

By Layla McMurtrie

Geoff Larcom retires after 12 years at EMU and a lifelong career in journalism and media (Photo courtesy of Geoff Larcom).

A look inside Geoff Larcom’s lifelong career in journalism and media and his iconic tenure at Eastern Michigan University

By Austin Elliott and Gracie Thompson

Gallery: EMU protest against sexual assault March 25 and 28

EMU students protest in response to lawsuit accusing EMU officials of ignoring sexual assault claims

By Austin Elliott , Ally Graham , Quanzelle Wyatt and Gracie Thompson


The Eastern Echo welcomes thoughtful discussion on all of our stories, but please keep comments civil and on-topic. Read our full guidelines here.


Most Popular


5/25/2023, 1:37pm

2 West Ypsi hosts stand-up comedy show in downtown Ypsilanti

By Erin Flynn

A new comedy show comes to Ypsilanti for a night of laughter and a celebration of local comedians on May 26.


5/24/2023, 10:34am

New savings program for students launches in Washtenaw County


5/28/2023, 11:17am

EMU Football program to host Midweek Maction Camp


5/23/2023, 9:00am

Eastern Michigan University Alumni start scholarship in the name of Aishwarya Thatikonda


Podcast


4/27/2023, 11:33am

Eastern Echo Podcast: Editor-in-Chief Layla McMurtrie Signing Off


3/2/2023, 11:36am

TheBlockE Podcast: Episode 12 - MAC Tournament Controversy


2/18/2023, 4:41pm

TheBlockE Podcast: Episode 11 - WHAT'S GOING ON?!


2/12/2023, 2:39pm

Echo Interviews: Kings of Color President Dylan Hughey discusses Black History Month


Tweets by TheEasternEcho
Eastern Michigan Echo To Homepage
  • About
  • Jobs
  • Freelance
  • Submissions
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Distribution

All Rights Reserved

© Copyright 2023 The Eastern Echo

Powered by Solutions by The State News.