Last
weekend I was asked to attend at least one Elon 125th Homecoming
event by my Media Writing class and report on it. I picked Elon’s Quasquicentennial
Historical Exhibit, not really knowing what to expect. However, when I walked in I realized that
Elon had decided to tell its tale through pictures.
All four walls were covered in pictures that depicted
important events that transpired at Elon University. I found myself drawn in by the story told by a combination of pictures
and short commentary beneath each of them.
Elon catalogued not only its successes, such as the first woman and
African American to graduate from the university, but also it’s challenges. Using powerful pictures taken during crises
such as the fire that burned down most of the newly built school, the outbreak
of Spanish Influenza following World War I, and 9/11, the Historical
Exhibit ended up making a very
noticeable effect on me.
By
using pictures, the artists helped me to relate to things that happened over a
hundred years ago. I realized that I was
part of an institution that had grown over the years thanks to students like me
that had lived through completely different things then I’ve ever had to face
in my life. Simple historical pictures,
I realized, were able to not only tell a story, but also helped me connect to
the greater community of Elon.
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