Behind the Scenes
The process followed in the making of this project is a simple one. That being said, it is only a simple process now that the ideas and goals of this project are fully developed. The Technology of Text class’s assignment was to create a digital archive St. Norbert College’s immense history, be it photographs, un-digitized texts, primary resources, or personal memories and stories of those involved in the college. This sort of work has never been done before at the college, aside from the brief work done by the College itself. The project was very interesting and excited to be a part of, and the students rose to the occasion. Since it was so new, many students, myself included, had a hard time figuring out the basis, the parts, and the goals of their projects. Since the project was an exciting one, the students, myself included, wanted to make sure to create a digital project that would aid scholars and researchers in having access to all the College has to offer.
My first intention for my project was to create an exhibit of all the Abbots of the Norbertine Order in Wisconsin, starting with Abbot Pennings himself. I was interested in researching and discovering key components of each Abbot’s life that may have shaped them into ‘the perfect Abbot’ for the Norbertine Order. Some questions I wanted to answer included: Were there crucial happenings in their lives that urged them to religious life? Were they previously connected with the Norbertine Order? What did all the Abbot have in common that may have influenced their religious lives?
When I realized the immense work load that was required to create an exhibit and historical map of every single Abbot, I began to rethink my project. I began to have doubts about the scholarly value of such a project. I felt as if I could compose something more insightful and valuable to the College research. This initial idea slowly developed into the project it is now: a project that visually displays the 4 main categories that factor into what St. Norbert College is today: Norbertine History, St. Norbert College History, Church History, and World History. I initially stumbled upon this idea while research Abbot Pennings’ life. A brief, shallow research tells us that Bernard Pennings left his church in Europe to come to Americas. He soon after founded saw a need for a safe ‘haven’ for young men and priests to be educated and allowed to practice their religion freely. As I was reading these facts, several of my questions, such as when and where did this happen, were immediately answered. What remain unanswered, however, was the why factor of these facts. Why did Pennings leave? Why did he see a need for the College? How is the foundation of the College relevant to Norbertine life?
I had found my project.
The timeline created and linked to this project visually displays what was happening throughout the world during the times of Norbertine and SNC development. By understanding the background and foreground of history, the user can now gain more insight as to why history happened the way it did. The user can now visually ‘watch’ as the world takes shape and affects many other historical happenings. The user can now understand that the reason Bernard Pennings left Europe was because of the immense suppression and persecution of religious life and political unrest that was occurring in Germany and France. They can know understand that the Abbeys the Norbertines are known for act as a safe haven for them to learn, teach, practice, worship, and lead their lives in their religious discipline. With this knowledge, the user now understands that Abbot Pennings saw a need for an institution such as the College because it served the same purpose that the Abbeys served to the Norbertines; a safe haven in which students can gain knowledge, develop this knowledge more deeply, and openly practice their religions openly and freely.
To put this together, I collected many pictures that displayed student life, faculty, the construction of various buildings on campus, and general community life. I sorted them into the various categories for an easy-to-navigate collection of exhibits. I then transferred them over to the Timeline, using a tiki-toki online archive, so the user can visually ‘watch’ history unfold.
By completing this project, my knowledge and understanding of the college has deepened. My knowledge of what makes this particular institution, my institution, so very special has also deepened, and I hope that by the completion of this project, others can gain the same insight.