More Than Words

The first Syrian refugees arrived at Notunterkunft Rathaus Wilmersdorf in Berlin, Germany on August 14, 2015. Just 10 days later, the shelter was bursting with more than 600 new refugees — and continued to grow.

Before taking her Northwestern class to volunteer at the notunterkunft, or “emergency shelter,” German language professor Franziska Lys knew that these refugees were not statistics but individuals with stories to tell. And telling their stories could be an immersive, powerful experience which combined many different types of media. 

Lys turned to her long-time collaborators within the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences’ Media and Design Studio (MADS) for help. Established in 1971, the studio provides Weinberg College professors and students with the tools, resources and training needed to undertake multimedia projects. Resources include video cameras, editing software, microphones, headsets, breakout rooms and much more.

“A generation ago, a teacher would have just asked the students to write about their experiences,” said John Bresland, director of MADS. “Now we have the capacity to tell these stories in different, more impactful ways.”

“Digital media is a newer but equally requisite form of literacy,” said Matt Taylor, IT director at MADS. “Working with media needs to be learned, discussed, critiqued and appreciated. We enable that fluency.”

After receiving training, Lys’ 12 students traveled to Berlin with equipment in hand. They listened to refugees’ personal stories and used their newfound skills to turn these stories into short documentaries, photo essays, podcasts, plays and comic strips. MADS staff compiled the students’ individual projects into one, publically available site, “Notunterkunft: Refugee Stories from Berlin.” 

“These different modes of storytelling required the students to go more in-depth with their sources,” Bresland said. “They developed real relationships and a real sense of gratitude.” 

The MADS staff members take on one-to-two large projects and several smaller projects per quarter. Projects have included an interactive, browsable map that document Chicago’s outdoor murals, a website that provides scholars with visual tools to help interpret and teach Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables and an adaptive textbook for foreign language testing and instruction.

Many professors in the College have become repeat customers to MADS over the years. Professors present their ideas to the studio’s staff, who then consult on the project and make recommendations for the best media to use. They then train both professors and students accordingly. Bresland and Taylor find satisfaction in helping professors articulate, plan and ultimately meet their visions.

 “It can be a transformative experience for students and faculty,” Taylor said. “Sometimes our work will help shift their perspectives or highlight a piece of knowledge that will open a door to a new area of inquiry.”