Raiders of the Lost Archives
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Students discover long-buried historical documents in vaults of Old Main archives.
Story written by Kaitlyn Easterling, student contributor for The Bell Tower Magazine.
In 1981, the world was captivated by the action-adventure film Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark. Audiences joined a globetrotting archeology professor Indiana Jones as he discovers long-lost artifacts from around the world. History comes to life in the film.
This winter, students had an Indiana Jones-style adventure of their own. During Miller’s Winter Week of Wisdom and Wonder, Ms. Velasquez and Mr. Troyer led a small group of students through the Miller archives. They peeled back layers of history digging through historical documents and old yearbooks from MSA’s storied 145-year history.
Over the years, Miller has served a wide range of students. MSA was originally Miller Manual Labor School, and the campus was home to local orphans who, in addition to traditional courses, trained in farming, woodworking, metal working, and other trades. Ms. Velasquez and Mr. Troyer’s class spent time rummaging through old archives, dating from this era of the Miller School (c. 1880s-1910s). There were narratives of young orphans with tragic family stories who found hope at Miller Manual Labor School.
The group handled the original documents, the same papers touched by those who knew Miller over a century ago. There were heartbreaking stories of students dying in the dorms from the Spanish Flu as well as accounts of students running away. There were also portraits of daily student life, showing that Miller is a shrine for generations of memories and stories of the individual lives that once called the Hill home. “I feel different about walking through the corridors now,” says Nëva Gure (‘24), who was part of the archives group.
A dive into Miller’s past provides an opportunity to celebrate how much we’ve evolved throughout the years. With this also comes an opportunity to consider the good work being done now to embody our mission. The head of Miller archives, Ms. Velasquez, is like our very own Indiana Jones–she is inspiring students through experiences, where what they study comes to life. Raiding the lost archives of MSA’s past provided students a portal to connect and learn from those who came before them. By understanding the past, we can all better understand today.
