Students research topics at Yaddo archive in NYC
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » Yaddo announced a partnership with Stewart’s Shops and The Dake Family called the “Access to Yaddo Initiative” which provides $5,000 to support Yaddo’s cultural enrichment program with Saratoga Springs High School students.
The Yaddo Club allows students to work on yearlong research projects. Students select various topics, some with a connection to Yaddo, then conduct research at the Yaddo archive housed in the New York Public Library, a news release said.
Some of the research topics students have been working on include: Mario Puzo and “The Godfather” and how it compares to Saratoga Springs Police Chief Greg Veitch’s book about Saratoga Springs organized crime over a century ago; the history of conservation in the Adirondack region; the architecture of Saratoga Springs, including the Yaddo Mansion; the evolution of medical equipment from the 18th through 20th centuries and more.
“The time flies over the course of the year. We really need all year to develop the project, to figure out what they need as far information and what archives they need to dig into at the New York Public Library,” said Jennifer Duchaussee, one of three club advisers. “They are all self-driven. We give them deadlines, but it’s up to them to meet it. They aren’t getting a bad grade like they would if it were a high school project assignment.”
In addition to Duchaussee, Humanities Coordinator Freya Miller and Kimberly Nemeth advise over a dozen students. Fourteen visited New York for research, compared to only
over a dozen students. Fourteen visited New York for research, compared to only seven last year.
Seniors involved in the club include, president Ellie Craver, secretary Stephanie Wertheim, treasurer Elizabeth Fox, Ben Doern, Eugenia Moore, Sara Phillips, Nayeli Selkis and Jakob Wiegand.
Juniors include vice president Bailey Kerr, Tucker Wurtmann, Julia Sanders, Emily Hausam, Sydney Locke, Quinn Montgomery, Grace Alberti and Drew Burke.
Sophomores include Megan Schorpp, Megan Bissonette, Abbi Derlinga and Ronak Fansiwala.
The “Access to Yaddo” initiative sponsored by Stewart’s Shops/The Dake Family puts funding muscle behind Yaddo’s commitment to enrich young scholars in the community, most of whom have studied Yaddo as part of the fourth grade local history curriculum but have had few opportunities to interact with Yaddo until now. The Yaddo Club partnership between Yaddo and Saratoga Springs High School was founded in 2013 with several goals in mind: to engage students in a unique perspective on the arts, to demonstrate the importance of the arts to our community and the local economy, to impart research and presentation skills, to illuminate career possibilities in the arts, and—as college costs continue to climb— to help students from diverse backgrounds stand out as competitive applicants and capture scholarships.
“With this grant, Stewart’s Shops and the Dake Family have helped us deepen the historic relationship between Yaddo and Saratoga Springs High School in an inspired way. We’ve awarded the Yaddo Medal to two seniors since 1912,” said Yaddo President Elaina Richardson. Now, we’re expanding students’ access to the artists in their backyard to provide a sense of what a ‘life in the arts” (whether as a maker or an administrator) might look like, believing that the ties forged will have a long-lasting impact on students’ lives and enhance our community as a whole.”
On April 24, the public is invited to a gallery conference at the high school where students will demonstrate their projects. Some students will go on to enter their projects for the New York State Archives Student Research Award by July 1. Duchaussee said students receive feedback or ideas after the walkthrough conference before submitting their projects for the Research Award.
In addition to students researching at the New York Public Library, they attended a special performance of Yaddo artist Alison S.M. Kobayashi’s acclaimed play Say Something Bunny.
Club members have served as student ambassadors for the “Yaddo Presents” events at Northshire Bookstore in Saratoga Springs, meeting authors Russell Banks, Jonathan Santlofer, and Sigrid Nunez. A visit with celebrated author Lorrie Moore is planned for April. On March 13, Richardson and other Yaddo staff hosted the students for a Q&A about their research topics in the dining room of the Yaddo Mansion.
A reception celebrating the culmination of the group’s projects will be held in June.