Student Projects
In spring 2022, students in Dr. Tatiana Cruz's AST 375/575, "Behind the Veil: Simmons Black Oral History Project" course conducted eight interviews with Black alumnae/i. They identified key themes and topics of interest to help make meaning of the oral histories and to serve as the focus of their final papers and projects. Topics included the Simmons Black Student Organization, the Simmons curriculum, social and residential life, navigating college during times of national or international turmoil, and Black librarianship and archivists, among others. Five of the students returned to the project in summer 2022 to conduct additional interviews with alumnae/i.
This section introduces the students involved in the project and showcases their presentations exploring and interpreting some of the themes revealed in the oral history interviews.
Anna Boyles ‘22: “3 Blog Posts Inspired by Interview with Laurel Guild Yancey ‘75.”
Anna Boyles (she/her) is from Ridgeland, Mississippi. She was a History major and graduated from Simmons in 2022.
Sunei Clarke ‘24: “A Survival Guide Video: ‘What Does Simmons Mean to Us’”
Sunei Clarke (she/her) is from Brooklyn, NY. She is currently a third-year student at Simmons in the class of 2024 studying Public Health with a Chemistry minor. She hopes to one day obtain her MD and become a practicing doctor post-graduation.
Sarah Granoff ‘23: “Student Activism and Its Impacts in the Early 1970s.”
Sarah Granoff (she/her) is from Framingham, MA. She is a History major specializing in Public History and she is a double minor in Arts Administration and Women's & Gender Studies at Simmons in the Class of 2023. She hopes to pursue a M.A. in Public History or Museum Studies after graduating.
Kas Hunt ‘23: “The Life and Travels of Ms. Gerri Williams.”
Kas Hunt (he/they) is from West Hartford, CT but is New York born. They are a women's and gender studies major in the class of 2023. He hopes to stay in the Boston area after graduation working with people and families.
Sara Slager ‘23: “Carry the Baton: How Teachers Become Activists”
Sara Slager (she/her) is from Halifax, MA. She is a Women's and Gender Studies major on the 4+1 Elementary Education Dual Licensure Track with a minor in History. She will graduate with her BA in 2023 and her MAT in 2024. After Simmons, she hopes to be a teacher.
Toben Traver, M.A./M.S. ‘22: “‘My Own Personal Key’: An Exploration of Black Librarianship.”
Toben Traver (he/him) is from Taftsville, VT. He holds an MS in Library Science from Simmons, and plans to graduate in 2022 with an MA in History. Toben works at the Dartmouth College Libraries.