http://www.iupui.edu/summerimpact/blogs/ News about Brandon from Summer Impact en-us Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:43:24 -0500 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://www.iupui.edu/summerimpact/blogs/4134/Why-it-all-matters http://www.iupui.edu/summerimpact/blogs/4134/Why-it-all-matters The last several weeks have been a bit of a blur. My fellow researchers and I have been rushing to finish final projects, which consist of a poster and a final research paper. In the archaeology lab we have just finished cataloging all of the finds from the dig; outside of the lab we have each spent hours researching our various topics. Last Wednesday each of us had to attend a poster session in the Campus Center, and finally show everyone else what we have been working on the entire summer. It was slightly unnerving at first, nearly all of the other presenters represented the life sciences and my friends and I seemed to be the only social sciences. As I stood next to other presenters who had subjects pertaining to cancer research and public health I had to remind myself why the research that Alex, Jordan, Lisa and myself had undertaken mattered. Much of the research I have completed for the archaeological dig, and the MURI research program, in my view, pertains to matter of structural violence and inequality. For those of you unfamiliar with such terminology, structural violence is institutionalized classism, racism, or sexism that results in the political and social oppression or economic exploitation of peoples. In the United States such people have generally been women, people of color, and the poor. My final paper and poster presentation discussed how perceptions of race and poverty, and what constitutes a “slum”, were contributing factors in the urban renewal projects that changed the face of Indiana Avenue and the ground that IUPUI now stands on. Alex, Jordan and Lisa researched topics concerning sanitation on the avenue, the demographics of the neighborhood, and the influence of Madame Walker’s, arguably the first African American millionaire, home and factory on the avenue. In my mind the entire summer has been about working against the common narrative and stereotypes, to attempt to give a voice to the voiceless, and craft a narrative that is more in keeping with the perceptions of the people who lived on the avenue. We’ve attempted to do this by talking to those who once lived in the area or on the avenue, the excavation of Madame Walker’s factory and an alley house, and by reviewing historical records and literature. It is not my purpose to give a rose colored view of the avenue, and to say that people living on the avenue were not poor. Only that who is considered "impoverished," and what is considered “urban blight” are powerful forces in public policy. There is no universal reality in reference to poverty or blight, and because of this such perceptions can be twisted to fit a group of people, often for political or social reasons. Problems that people are not aware of cannot be fixed, history that is untold cannot be learned from. This is why our research mattered. So as I stood during the poster presentations I tried not to feel too out of place. Alex, Jordan, Lisa and I did not have a plethora of scientific terminology to throw around. Our work would not aid in curing cancer or other ailments, but perhaps it would contribute, in its own minute way , to leveling the playing field. It would aid in giving a voice back to those who had none. After all, what good are advances in medical science when structural violence denies so many people access to them? “"The good we secure for ourselves is precarious and uncertain until it is secured for all of us and incorporated into our common life." - Jane Addams   Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.iupui.edu/summerimpact/images/60_sq_brandon20.jpg http://www.iupui.edu/summerimpact/images/200_brandon20.jpg http://www.iupui.edu/summerimpact/blogs/4086/The-Archaeologists-Second-Best-Friend http://www.iupui.edu/summerimpact/blogs/4086/The-Archaeologists-Second-Best-Friend One week into the research portion of field school, and there are already several new lessons that I’ve learned. The first, is that while finding artifact after artifact in the field seems amazing at the time, in fact the discovery of artifacts often keeps one motivated in ninety degree weather, the lab portion of dealing with artifacts is often less exciting. Each chip of bone and shard of glass must be cleaned, dried, and catalogued; and I am here to tell you that we found no small amount of either. Lisa, Alex, Jordan and I spent the better part of four days, with no small amount of help from volunteers, cleaning each artifact. Four days of cleaning brings me to my next lesson: In the field, a trowel is the archaeologist’s best friend. In the lab, the toothbrush becomes your best friend. Somehow the idea of Dr. Jones wielding a toothbrush seems a lot less screenworthy, but I like to think that my classmates and I make the activity look good. There is certainly some benefit to the cleaning though. Many of the units I worked on during the field school were sparse in artifacts, so the cleaning process lets me see everything that was excavated during the field school. It appears we found everything from toy cars and cutlery, to intact bottles and a shattered Santa Claus. There is much more to be done this summer besides the cleaning and cataloging of artifacts though. Over the next three weeks my remaining classmates and I will have to consider the artifacts that were found and how they relate to each of our research topics , which brings me to my third lesson: nothing is ever as simple as it appears. At first I had believed that my own research would be quite easy. It is commonly believed that the people who once lived on Indiana Avenue were poor, that the area was blighted. My original assumption was that the artifacts discovered during field school would either support or refute such a narrative. It appears that it is not going to be that easy. Nothing found on site seems to scream poverty or the reverse. We have spoken to elders who once lived in the area and called the avenue “A great place to grow up”, though historically I would risk romanticizing life on the avenue if I simply stated that no poverty existed at all. To share a quote from Dr. Mullins, “The reality is more complicated and will inevitably include some support and refutation alike. Anthropology lives in the grey areas, science wants to live in the Black-and-White.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnE-nRA8gZg   Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.iupui.edu/summerimpact/images/60_sq_brandon6.jpg http://www.iupui.edu/summerimpact/images/200_brandon6.jpg http://www.iupui.edu/summerimpact/blogs/4053/The-Next-Step http://www.iupui.edu/summerimpact/blogs/4053/The-Next-Step It is with mixed emotions that I report that the field school will be over in one week. The field school has managed to be the most "hands on" learning experience that I have ever had, and at the same time has also been the most uncomfortable and dirty. I began this portion of the blog wondering whether or not I would fall into the ‘love’ or ‘hate’ camp in respect to archaeology. Well I can certainly say that I don’t hate it. In fact, once you get past the heat, and being covered in dirt and sweat for eight hours it really isn’t that bad. A particular maxim of Dr. Mullins’ comes to mind every time I think about taking another field school, “Hey, it beats work.” However, the positive benefits of a field school go beyond escaping a cubicle. One of the best parts of the field school has been meeting new people who are also in my field, or at least a related field. There is rarely time in a normal class to talk or get to know people, even those whom you have had several classes with. Needless to say, you cannot dig for eight hours a day with people without getting to know them. In fact, last weekend the class got together for a cookout, and we were all able to see what each other looked like again when not covered in mud. My academic journey for the summer is not over though. Thanks to a MURI grant, myself and my friends Alex, Jordan and Lisa will aid Lewis Jones in the interpretation of the artifacts that we have found during the excavation. Each of us has been given a specific topic to research and write about. Because I have spent much of the field school excavating what was once a double alley house, my own research will focus on how alley houses relate to poverty and other issues of social justice. I am excited about the topic itself, as it will allow me to put much of what was ‘dug up’ into context. Though I must admit to being slightly apprehensive to all of the other requirements of MURI such as GRE prep courses, poster presentations, and a final 15-20 page paper.   Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.iupui.edu/summerimpact/images/60_sq_jordanrobby.jpg http://www.iupui.edu/summerimpact/images/200_jordanrobby.jpg http://www.iupui.edu/summerimpact/blogs/4040/A-Snapshot-of-our-Work http://www.iupui.edu/summerimpact/blogs/4040/A-Snapshot-of-our-Work The field school has made substantial progress in excavating the area in which Madame CJ Walker’s factory once stood. When the class initially began digging I was concerned that it would take far more than six weeks to reach any substantial depth. For instance, it took me and the other people working on my unit nearly two weeks to reach level 2 of our unit. However it should be noted that the majority of the class has had no problem reaching a substantial depth rather quickly. We also began with only three units, and we have now expanded to five. For those of you who are unfamiliar with what constitutes a "level" or a "unit" it is quite simple. A unit is typically a 5’ x 5’ square that is being excavated on the site. When you are excavating a unit, six inches in depth equals one level. However, a significant change in soil color or consistency can create a new ‘level’ before one reaches six, twelve, or eighteen inches in depth. The depth at which an object is found can be used to determine how old it is, and changes in soil variation can give us an idea of what once stood where we are digging. A popular example on site is that there is a distinctive dark soil that typically appears where outhouses once stood. I have not had the experience of making such a find. In fact, the more progress that was made on the unit I was excavating, the fewer objects we found. Two weeks ago Stephanie, Lisa and I were filling entire bags with shards of glass, ceramic, bone, and other objects. Needless to say, such is no longer the case. Luckily, many people on other units have had much better luck in finding objects and features and you can see some of them discuss their finds here (Jordan and Robby), here (Mike and Karen), and here (Alyson and Judy).   Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.iupui.edu/summerimpact/blogs/4029/Who-Gets-to-Tell-the-Story http://www.iupui.edu/summerimpact/blogs/4029/Who-Gets-to-Tell-the-Story So far fieldwork has been one of the most satisfying experiences in my academic journey. To any students who read this blog I would encourage you to find a way to actively participate in your field, no matter what you may be studying. It is my experience that in many classrooms, particularly of the liberal arts variety, that there is so much emphasis placed on theory that it becomes easy to miss or forget how such theories pan out once you are back in the "real" world. I was lucky enough to have such a reminder. My friend Stephanie and I recently had to present an article, on site, to our class about "Critical Theory" and how it pertains to archaeology. The basic claim of critical archaeology is that by studying the interaction of politics and archaeology, archaeologists will be able to achieve “less contingent knowledge” [Leone, M. P., Potter, P. B., Jr., & Shackel, P. A. (1987, June). Toward a Critical Archaeology. Current Anthropology, 28(3), 283-298]. This sounds like an intimidating concept at first, but what it essentially boils down to is that history is told in a certain way for a certain reason. If we are aware of biases, political and otherwise, we may reach a more balanced understanding of the past. My own point here is not to say that biased views of the past are false, for truly all interpretations of the past are biased in some way, merely that seeing the past from other perspectives can create a clearer image. As a reader you may be wondering what, if anything, this has to do with field work on Madame CJ Walker’s home and factory. Well, as the class discussed the concept, our Field Director Lewis Jones challenged us to apply this concept to the common historical narrative of Indiana Avenue, where our site is located, and the space now occupied by IUPUI. He also encouraged us to think about whether or not the artifacts we have found so far confirm the common narrative, or offer a different interpretation. As an undergraduate, I have often been told that much of the area occupied by the university and other establishments now had been ‘cleared away’ because the area was “blighted”. In fact, this perception may have made it easier to clear the 500 or so acres occupied by the university, and may even serve to validate the universities’ presence. Yet, I wonder now, if one were to ask, if the people who called the avenue home would have called it “blighted”. I believe that an elder who had lived in one of the houses on the avenue or where the university stands would have a much different view of history. In fact, I would argue that without such a narrative from those who once occupied the avenue and IUPUI, that our history is unbalanced. It seems that there is more than one past, and that issue of who gives voice to the narrative may be just as important as the narrative itself.       Tue, 02 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.iupui.edu/summerimpact/images/60_sq_brandon4.jpg http://www.iupui.edu/summerimpact/images/200_brandon4.jpg http://www.iupui.edu/summerimpact/blogs/4021/You-Can-Have-Your-Cake-and-Trowel-it-Too http://www.iupui.edu/summerimpact/blogs/4021/You-Can-Have-Your-Cake-and-Trowel-it-Too The field school is finally in full swing. The first week consisted of lectures, and my first few days of work in the "field" consisted of shoveling away gravel while looking for phantom foundations. Luckily, on my third day outside of the classroom, which happened to correspond with my birthday, all of that changed. On a staggeringly hot day me and my two dig mates, Lisa and Judy, started excavation on our unit. Our unit is located on the backside, and under the floorboards, of what was once a "double" home on the avenue. I was not certain of what we would find as we began scraping away the first layers of the site. I did briefly worry though that we wouldn’t find much since a floor once covered our unit. Also, compared to many of our classmates our digging was slow. Luckily, my group mates and I found enough artifacts to make the slow progress well worth it. In a matter of hours we had uncovered a few straight pins, several shards of glass and ceramic, and even a crystal hanger from a light fixture. During the first part of the day I had to fight the urge to not to simply pluck an artifact from the dirt when I found it. (One risks damaging an artifact or placing it outside of its context if one does not slowly remove the layers of soil around it.) My favorite find of the day however was the two clay tips of tobacco pipes that we discovered. Dr. Mullins, in an effort to give historical meaning to such finds as pipes and straight pins, mentioned that there is a possibility that the people who once lived in the double that we are excavating may have been part of an informal economy. Meaning that they may have made money by taking on domestic work for other people, such as mending or washing clothes. It was also not unheard of for women to smoke pipes. However, with the exception of the previous fact, nothing is certain yet. Also, since it was my birthday, my fellow classmates Jordan and Lisa brought cake and popsicles. Our field director, a PhD student from IU Bloomington, even loaned me a brand new trowel to dig into the cake with. The days events were certainly a great way to kick off unit excavation.   Fri, 29 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.iupui.edu/summerimpact/images/60_sq_brandon.jpg http://www.iupui.edu/summerimpact/images/200_brandon.jpg http://www.iupui.edu/summerimpact/blogs/4005/Have-You-Seen-My-Wall http://www.iupui.edu/summerimpact/blogs/4005/Have-You-Seen-My-Wall While excavation began on Monday, this Tuesday was my first day of field school in which I was finally on site—6-credit-hour students are present five days a week, and 4-credit -hour students are present three. I fall into the latter.  With butterflies and two cups of coffee in my stomach I arrived at 8:30 ready to get my hands dirty. Needless to say, by the end of the day more than just my hands were dirty. Little time was wasted as Dr. Mullins split the class in two and set us to work on opposite ends of the dig site. Luckily, nearly everyone in my group of five had been present on Monday, and wasted no time in filling me in on what had taken place the day before. During the first day the class discovered several brick outlines of structures that had existed in-full on the avenue. Also, during the process of removing the upper layers of soil the class had discovered pieces of broken glass and other such artifacts. For those of you reading this, the discovery of bottles and glass shards may seem inconsequential. However, think for a moment about the items that you throw away daily. If someone were to rifle through your discards what would they discover about you? While such thoughts may seem odd at first, I believe you will find that people could tell quite a bit about you just from the items you place in your garbage bin. Theory aside for now, the group I worked with on Tuesday made great strides in trying to give further definition of buried foundations. Unfortunately, for most of the day we were unsuccessful. Even the camera man from WISH TV 8 seemed more interested in the other side of the dig. While the second group continued to define the neat outline of their building, my friends and I moved wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow of soil, only to find misplaced bricks, and the occasional concrete slab. I had to stop and laugh at myself a couple of times when I spent several minutes hunched over staring at the ground, in the false belief that I had discovered a foundation, only to stand up and realize that the soil was quite uniform. The class broke for lunch at noon, and my group returned to our segment of the site one hour later with every intention of finding our phantom wall. We were not quite successful, though we did find several possible areas where the wall may have been. Also scattered about were interesting fragments of colored glass and ceramics, and occasionally a classmate would find a metal tag or an intact medicine bottle. After the lunch break time flew by and the class had to begin cleaning up the site around 2:30pm. I ended the day covered in sweat, dirt, and sunblock. I imagine the class smelled like a mix between a gym and a tanning salon, though I was not feeling brave enough to test such an olfactory theory . Even given our hygienic condition at the end of the day, and the “phantom” wall, my first day of field school was not an experience I would have wished to miss.   Thu, 21 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.iupui.edu/summerimpact/images/60_sq_103_08810.jpg http://www.iupui.edu/summerimpact/images/200_103_08810.jpg http://www.iupui.edu/summerimpact/blogs/3995/Preparation-for-fieldwork http://www.iupui.edu/summerimpact/blogs/3995/Preparation-for-fieldwork The first week of field school has come and gone. While we have not yet begun digging on the Madam CJ Walker site, we have covered a vast amount of material in a relatively short amount of time. Each day, Wednesday through Friday, has begun with a four hour lecture. In the lectures Dr. Mullins and Lewis Jones have covered the historical development of life on Indiana Avenue, as well as the creation of IUPUI. The lectures, of course, have also covered the “rags to riches” story of Madam CJ Walker, and how her story and that of the neighborhood related to historical concepts of class and race. The class has not been all lecture though, as each day has had its own field trip component. On a particularly rainy Wednesday we visited the Crispus Attucks Museum, which is a part of the IPS Crispus Attucks Middle School. There we took a tour that gave us a greater understanding of what life was like for people of color in Indianapolis during the time of segregation. The tour also expanded upon the idea of afrocentricity, in which the historical narrative is told from the perspective of individuals who are part of the African Diaspora, rather than by those of European descent. Our primary tour guide, Mr. Addams, had actually lived during the time in which de facto segregation was alive in Indianapolis. As we walked through the museum he would often stop and discuss various artifacts in the museum and relate them to his own life, which included his father’s high school diploma. Thursday afternoon the class walked out to inspect the site on which we would be digging. It did not so much resemble an archaeological dig site, as it did a shallow swimming pool. Luckily, neither my classmates or I seemed much discouraged. In some places artifacts were already seeping up through the ground, and Lewis Jones, the field instructor, had already discovered a large piece of pipe in the uppermost layer of the lot. On Friday Mr. Addams, our tour guide from the museum, also gave the class a comical and insightful tour of Lockfield Gardens, where he lived as a boy. It is hard for words to do the entire tour justice, but you can see a small part of it here. Next Monday the class will officially begin work on the site, assuming that Mother Nature gives us her cooperation.     Sun, 17 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.iupui.edu/summerimpact/images/60_sq_img_1574.jpg http://www.iupui.edu/summerimpact/images/200_img_1574.jpg http://www.iupui.edu/summerimpact/blogs/3988/The-Idea-Meets-Reality http://www.iupui.edu/summerimpact/blogs/3988/The-Idea-Meets-Reality When I entered the B.A. program in anthropology I was not yet aware that I would have to take a course(s) in archaeology. My interests had always pertained to “culture.” The obvious fact that the objects left by people are byproducts of culture, and have the potential to tell us about a culture, wasn’t something that had occurred to me yet. In fact, at the beginning of my junior year I distinctly remember a discussion with Dr. Susan Hyatt, my advisor, in which I seriously asked the question, “Is there a way out of taking an archaeology course?” The answer was of course a definitive “no”. My disinterest in archaeology was in large part due to the fact that I didn’t really have a good idea of what it is archaeologists actually did. My initial thoughts were of whip-wielding heroes, hieroglyphics, and ancient ruins. Don’t get me wrong, each of those things seemed pretty cool but they made archaeology seem superfluous and as if the field wouldn’t add any meaningful depth to my education. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I hadn’t even made it halfway through my “mandatory” course on archaeology, ANTH E316 North American Pre-History, when I realized two things. First, I had many vast misconceptions about the field. I had to trade in my romanticized ideas about heroes, secret passages, and bull whips for a trowel, long field hours, and a host of ethical issues about how to interpret the past. With the stereotypes stripped away I was left with a field that used artifacts left by people in order to, among other things, give current generations a better understanding about, and stronger connection to, the past. The second thing I realized was that reading about archaeology in a textbook would not be enough for me. I needed to experience field work for myself. Once I understood that material objects could tell us an extraordinary amount about a culture, I couldn’t get enough. The professor of the archaeology course I was taking, Dr. Zimmerman, warned each of us early on that should we choose to try our hands at archaeological field work that “You’ll either love it, or you’ll hate it.” He gave several stories of working long hours in the sun, hunched over a small area with the wind blowing dirt into your eyes. Having worked in a cubicle for the last two years, I couldn’t imagine a more welcome reprieve. As soon as humanly possible I signed up for a summer field school: excavating the home of Madame CJ Walker. Although I’m optimistic, I’m not sure yet whether I will fall into the “hate” or “love” camp when it comes to archaeological field work. Either way I expect that the summer course will provide valuable experience in applied scholarship and community impact.     Tue, 12 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400