Category: Seminar Blog

Greetings to all who have stumbled upon this gracious website. Whether you are a prospective participant of the program or a parent looking to see what your kids are up to, the 2023 Knowledge for Freedom Seminar roster is here to share with you, what our experiences have been!

Although the light bulbs ? in our bathrooms flicker, Professor Pinsker enlightens our minds with his discussion of freedom and slavery! In discussions with Professor Johnson, we looked into the history of African Americans and the idea of “American Africanism” and how that is reflected in our founding document and the Dred and Harriet Scott case. Recently, we have had insightful conversations about different figures in the time leading up to the Civil War such as Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, and Sojourner Truth.

It would be a shame to “paper” (Wingert 2023) over the fact that our dorms at the High Street Residence are LEED Platinum certified, which has been supplemented by our selfless decision to refrain from using paper towels, allowing us to save the trees ?. That fact is starting to change with the staff heeding our calls to reform these measures. Dorm life has been lovely with daily hangouts in the common areas on both floor three and floor four, but as seen by the higher population density in the fourth floor, it isn’t hard to see which is the better one.

The quality of the scrambled eggs every morning with their lovely texture in our mouths has brightened ☀️our day making the seminar egg-celent!

The cafeteria has been another center of our socialization as we are learning so much about each other’s backgrounds and lives. This location has also become a birthplace of interesting food combinations such as the root beer floats created by Finn and Cooper made with, of course, root beer, but with an interesting choice of chocolate frozen yogurt instead. Surprisingly, this facility has brought out levels of creativity that we never thought imaginable! In addition to this mind-blowing ? creation, another TA, Charlotte, showed her ingenuity with her choice of a FORK as her choice of utensil for eating her fro-yo.

Even with the burning heat ?that we have been feeling on campus, the air-conditioned indoors of all of the wonderful buildings here at Dickinson College make it the perfect summer activity. However, it may not be enough as we witnessed Professor Pinsker’s passionate, heartfelt lecture with sweat dripping down his face from his sheer enthusiasm, and definitely not because of the heat!

Students have been able to roam about the campus and enjoy an authentic experience at Dickinson College. A group of students visited the Weiss Center for the Arts and toured the Trout Art Gallery and witness beautiful art pieces such as this depiction of Benjamin Rush?‍?, founding father of the United States of America, and the founder of Dickinson College! We also enjoyed the wonderful service of 24/7 practice rooms located in the building, allowing students to stay in peak artistic form while spending their time at the Knowledge for Freedom Seminar!

That is all now! We will be updating you throughout the rest of the seminar! If you are finding this as a high-schooler, be sure to be ready to sign up next year ✒️ in May. If you are a parent, we are all safe and sound, creating timeless bonds, and learning invaluable information ?!

Update: They have given us paper towels. The tyranny is over!

Written by,

Anthony Khuc

In cooperation with,

Cooper Hamelton Wingert

&& Everyone else in the camp!!!

After contemplating the text and context of Thursday’s documents – Sojourner Truth’s women’s rights speech and Frederick Douglass’ Fifth of July speech – the students headed off to their discussion sections to delve deeper into the subtext.  These small group sessions were certainly insightful, but the highlight of the day came in the afternoon.  After lunch, the students had the unique opportunity to attend an Underground Railroad site in downtown Carlisle.

Cooper Addressing the Students Outside the Courthouse

Graduate TA and published author Cooper Wingert guided the students through the legacy of Carlisle’s courthouse.  He described the famous McClintock Riot trial which took place in that very courtroom, and delved into the discrepancies between the federally-mandated Fugitive Slave Act and state-level decisions about forcibly returning freedom seekers.  At the end of his talk, Cooper implored the students to ponder whether they would consider the courthouse an Underground Railroad site.  Was the essence of the Underground Railroad secrecy, or simply the mission to free as many enslaved people as possible?

Students Listening to Cooper in the Courtroom

After Cooper concluded, the students were allowed to take pictures posing in the courtroom (while being careful to avoid the historical wooden chairs in a sectioned-off portion).  Several were elated about the opportunity to hold the gavel used in Carlisle court cases.

Vanessa Wielding the Gavel

Anthony and Finn Posing on the Witness Stand

Vanessa, Vincent, Erik, and Ava Posing in the Judges’ Seats at the Historic Courthouse

The Courthouse mini-field-trip was an enjoyable way to tie the historical concepts about which the students had been learning to a tangible, nearby building.  After this, the students attended a workshop which walked them through the different elements of the college admissions process, including familiarization with the Common App.  The day ended with a hearty dining hall dinner.  From 7-9 pm, the students met with their graduate TAs in-dorm to brainstorm for their close-reading assignments.  Tomorrow, there will be a campus-wide historical scavenger hunt; stay tuned.

Today, students in Prof. Lynn Johnson’s discussion section created hashtags to synthesize the arguments of speeches delivered by Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglass. Between the laughter, students justified their creative hashtags by pointing to evidence in the original texts.

Some of their best hits include:

• #gimmemypint
• #MenDoMore
• #nothintoargue
• #72:2
• #notlightbutfire
• #giveHERachance
• #HawkandABuzzard
• #notmyfourth

Tom Torlino before and after photograph (Carlisle Indian School Digital Resource Center)

Wednesday started off strong, with a lengthy discussion about both Frederick Douglass’s autobiographical narrative and a sketch of Abraham Lincoln, where both men talk about their upbringings in great detail. Students gained greater insight into their biographies, as they began to brainstorm their Close Reading projects and think about the upcoming Lincoln-Douglass debate. Students also heard from the head of Dickinson College’s Carlisle Indian Industrial School project and one of Dickinson’s archivists, Jim Gerencser. Students were able to see various documents, like the before and after picture of Tom Torlino, a Navajo Native American who attended the Indian School. They asked insightful questions into the operations of the Carlisle Indian School, what the conditions were like, and how people should remember its legacy.

Students also learned how to access and use WordPress and WeVideo, two programs they will need for their Close Reading projects. By considering the text, context, and subtext of their chosen document, students will draw various conclusions as to what their author truly meant throughout their work. They will also provide a brief video where they read an excerpt from their document, accompanied by background music and relevant images.

Students at the afternoon workshop, where they learned how to use WordPress and WeVideo

Wednesday concluded with a variety of fun activities. Some students went to Walmart for a quick shopping trip with the undergraduate interns, while others played games, hung out with friends, and enjoyed each others’ company at the dorm. Some students even began brainstorming with their graduate TAs about what documents they would write about and outlined their Close Reading posts. All in all, it was a very productive and entertaining day.

Inside the Cumberland County Historical Society

Tuesday began with a lecture on the US Constitution as it pertained to slavery and the Dred Scott decision. The students delved deep into the documents not only to situate themselves in the historical moment, but to identify the context and subtext as well. They also spoke about the importance of honoring the contribution of figures like Harriet Scott that had previously been buried in history. Their scholarship didn’t end in the lecture room, however. 

Tuesday afternoon, the students received a tour of the Cumberland County Historical Society museum in downtown Carlisle – including introductions to exhibits on the Carlisle Indian School and the history of the Pennsylvania Railroad. The tour guide explained the curation process of the exhibits, including the emotional aspect involved behind the scenes. The students were then given an opportunity to explore the museum on their own. 

Scarlette reading about soldiers from Carlisle

Students also meet with Dickison’s Vice President of Enrollment and Dean of Admissions, Catherine Davenport, to brainstorm effective tactics for the college admissions process. Although the students were impressive in their prior knowledge, Davenport was able to provide valuable information using her career experience. Students were actively engaged in the discussion–sharing both their previous experiences and their concerns–which Davenport alleviated.   

Admissions activity in Denny 103

After dinner, many of the students indulged in ice cream at Carlisle’s local ice cream shop Massey’s. Their conversations ranged from their earlier lecture to the best ice cream flavors. Although no consensus was reached on the best ice cream flavors, the students bonded over shared hobbies and interests.

Students enjoying treats at Massey’s

Students finished their required readings early last night and played an intense, nail-biting game of clue.

Monday was a great introduction to what our Teagle Seminar is going to be all about.  Sunday evening, the students read ‘On Being Brought From Africa’ by Phillis Wheatley and the Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson.  On Monday morning, they attended a lecture led by Professors Johnson and Mealy, which presented them with relevant context and subtext for the two documents and allowed them to develop new ways of thinking about the motivations Wheatley and Jefferson may have had while writing.  After a quick snack break, the students broke into groups to discuss the readings in a more in-depth manner.

Students in Denny Hall 317 during Context Lecture

Spirited discussion led to lunchtime in Dickinson’s dining hall, and after lunch was Professor Pinsker’s Close Reading Workshop, during which the professor checked in on how the students were settling into the dorm before discussing how their upcoming assignments should be completed.  After that workshop, the students who wished to attend the Kline Fitness Center completed a short orientation before touching base briefly at the High Street residence.  Our final activity before dinner was a tour of campus, and along the way we traveled through Rector (one of the science-focused buildings on campus), the HUB (a central building which houses the dining hall, bookstore, and juice-bar, among other resources), and the library.  The students ended the day back at the dorm, hanging out and reading tomorrow’s source materials.  It was a busy and fun first day, and we can’t wait to see what the rest of the week brings.

Welcome to the first post of the 2023 Teagle Seminar Blog, my name is Jordan Schucker and I am an undergraduate intern with the House Divided Project. My fellow interns–Forbes, Henry, Etsub–and I will be creating posts every morning about the previous day’s activities.

High Street Dorm (Architect Magazine)

Yesterday was dedicated to getting the students settled into the program. They moved into their rooms in the High Street Residence Hall until we reconvened in the common room downstairs for a brief meeting. After we discussed the basic rules of the program, we headed to the cafeteria for our first meal as a group. We then returned to the dorm and played “Two Truths and a Lie” as an icebreaker. We also made sure to set up everyone’s laptops and phones with the Dickinson WiFi network so they could get started on their reading assignments for the night. In the evening, the students went for a walk together, played a game of Ultimate Frisbee, and hung out in the common rooms.

Overall, the Teagle Seminar staff is excited to work with this group of 24 students for the next two weeks. We hope you will continue to follow along for Seminar updates in the days to come.

Team Lincoln vs. Team Douglass, July 2021 (Carlisle Sentinel)

The 2023 seminar blog will include daily posts from at least one of our undergraduate interns (Henry Booth, Forbes, Jordan Schucker, or Etsub Taye) plus occasional posts from our faculty and staff and (hopefully) some volunteer contributions from our high school participants.  We have 24 students from around the region attending the Knowledge for Freedom seminar this year, and we’re really looking forward to hearing their perspectives on our program and what they’re learning.  This 2021 image from the Carlisle Sentinel always strikes me as a wonderful way to capture just how much and how fast student perspectives can change during a program like the Knowledge for Freedom.  It shows our culminating activity, the Team Lincoln vs. Team Douglass debates, held on our final day in front of the original lectern from Lincoln’s 1863 Gettysburg Address.  The local newspaper sent a reporter to cover us, and I’ll always remember how nervous I felt beforehand.  This was our first attempt at a parliamentary-style team debate with high school participants.  They debated a resolution concerning whether Douglass and the radicals had been right that the best way to destroy slavery would have been to attack it boldly straight from the beginning.  Team Lincoln tried defending the utility of the president’s more moderate efforts to hold the union coalition together while attacking slavery with caution and sometimes more indirectly than radicals had wanted.  The session was getting pretty heated in the back and forth, until one of the students finally blurted out:  “It’s all in Oakes, page 211!!!”  The moment demonstrated a newfound depth of knowledge and a surprising level of engagement –plus a mature recognition that citing sources is always important. As a history professor, I couldn’t have been prouder.