Local students become public historians at Gettysburg

Three students from the region in a Marietta College History Department program recently showcased its public history minor with a trip to Gettysburg National Military Park.

With the college's second annual Experiential Education Day on Monday, the students Brandon Downing's Civil War Memory and Commemoration course learn how monuments, statues, and cemeteries shape public views of the past. Most Americans don't take history classes after middle school, so historic sites and public historians become resources.

Students researched Union and Confederate monuments at Gettysburg and developed narratives that were factual, engaging and educational.

Local students who made the trip to the national battlefield site were Katie Lively, class of 2025, of New Matamoras, Tyson Riggs, class of 2025, of Marietta and Landon Thompson, class of 2026, of Marietta. The other two were Liam Sherman, class of 25, of Chicago and Arwen Waite, class of 2025, of New Berlin, Pa.

On location, students presented their research next to chosen monuments, directly on the battlefield.

"They told compelling stories by personalizing people, events, and meanings," Downing said. "Well-told stories make emotional and cognitive connections to history, inspiring listeners to learn more."

Students also learned about controversies surrounding commemoration and their responsibility as historians to build trust and avoid extremes. Instead, they are taught to rely on research and training for thoughtful storytelling.

By developing skills in research, narrative, and on-site interpretation, Marietta's budding historians gained hands-on Public History experience at a seminal Civil War site, Downing said.

"They brought history to life while preparing for careers illuminating the past," he said.