![]() Though we may have learned about this fire in our history classes, our textbooks likely didn’t focus on the tragedy that befell the immigrant women working in the factory, or the importance of Perkins’ and Schneiderman’s activism. ![]() One student, Lily West, proposes an episode about the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, which “caused the deaths of 146 people, mostly young immigrant women, due to a lack of industrial safety.” After the fire, Lily says, female activists “like Frances Perkins and Rose Schneiderman” were essential in fighting for legal change to prevent such a tragedy from ever occurring again. In their episode proposals, students share brilliant ideas celebrating and honoring historical figures of various race, genders, and sexualities. That’s why what Elder’s students are doing is not only a valuable experience for them, but an asset to our society inside and outside of Converse. “This is why we need really good people who have thought about these issues going into screenwriting and trying to write down some of these moments that have been overlooked.” “ is not something that’s gone,” says Elder. “Research that moment, find out that history, tell that story, and then write a scene - how would this play out on Timeless?” Righting the wrongs in Hollywood portrayals has become increasingly common in the past few years Elder notes movies like Hidden Figures, a film about Black women who were key contributors to NASA, as just one example of how Hollywood is improving in its representation of all people. Elder cites as one of the questions students might bear in mind when creating their proposals. “What do you think Hollywood has gotten wrong that you want to fix?” Dr. “What do you think Hollywood has gotten wrong that you want to fix? Research that moment, find out that history, tell that story, and then write a scene…” Additionally, this class format guides students as they prepare for their ultimate goal: by the end of the Jan Term semester, each student will create their own proposal for an episode of Timeless. Elder may ask, “How does the episode try to appeal to the audience’s senses?” or “How does music play a role?” In doing so, the class not only processes the episode and how it represents historical figures, but also considers the Hollywood side and the role of production value in telling stories. How, for example, does it represent people of color involved in the event? Or, as Dr. In the final portion of the class, students discuss how the show approached the topic. They spend the first third of the class discussing their source and its context, then watch a 45-minute episode of Timeless. In a typical day in this class, students come in prepared after reading a primary or secondary source relevant to the episode they will be watching that day. And so her Jan Term class was born: “Timeless: Hollywood, Time Travel, and American History.” This key feature, Elder realized, makes the show a strong foundation for a class about Hollywood’s representation of history. These moments feature women, people of color, members of the LGBT+ community, and others who are far too often omitted from our history books – and our TV shows. Not only do the protagonists visit times we all know, like the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, but they often travel back to “moments that the typical American audience is not as familiar with,” Elder says. Righting the wrongs in Hollywood portrayals has become increasingly common in the past few years Elder notes movies like Hidden Figures, a film about Black women who were key contributors to NASA, as just one example of how Hollywood is improving in its representation of all people. It may sound simple, but it delves into deeply important issues, shining a spotlight on Hollywood’s portrayal of marginalized groups throughout history. The basic premise of the show, she explains, is that the “good guys” have a time machine and venture back in time to keep the “bad guys” from changing significant historical events. ![]() “I was just struck by how well-done it is,” she says of the NBC show. She first watched Timeless about a year ago. class based on a TV show is certainly not the most conventional of Jan term classes, but Elder was determined to make it work. It’s an exciting moment for Elder and her students, and the Jan term class leading to it has been a month they will all remember. ![]() But now, after an exciting coincidence – a Converse freshman is related to Ryan, a creator of Timeless, and Ryan was thrilled to hear about the class – Ryan himself is Skyping in. Angela Elder had expected when she created her Jan term class, which is centered around the TV show Timeless. This moment is not one that history professor Dr. “To me, history is an amazing major to have,” says Shawn Ryan, executive TV producer, to a room full of Converse students over a Skype call. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |