Telling Our Stories: Student Experiences at UW Tacoma

Class photo of TCOM 347: Television Criticism

This fall, the library partnered with Dr. Sonia De La Cruz’s Television Criticism class (TCOM 347) to create a digital publication of their short films. Why a digital publication? One reason is the opportunity to give rich context to each digital story and the accompanying reflections, something that video sharing platforms like YouTube or Vimeo struggle to do. We also wanted to situate these stories within a scholarly context, giving them authority and visibility that has historically been denied to marginalized communities and students.

The publication, titled Telling Our Stories: Student Experiences at UW Tacoma, compiles the short digital stories of seven UWT students and alumni, as well as reflections from the creators. The project was created in partnership with the Center for Equity and Inclusion, and you will notice themes of identity and community throughout each unique digital story. In their introduction to the publication, the students of TCOM 347 describe the goals of the project:

The diverse community of our UW-Tacoma campus gives us a chance to learn about multiple histories and stories that we might otherwise not hear about. Therefore, this project engages students in conversation about diversity and difference as it is experienced on campus. The goal is to foster a space where these stories can be heard and develop enriching ways of understanding one another and the world around us.

Ready to explore these digital stories? https://uw.pressbooks.pub/tellingourstories

Interested in developing your own digital project, for the classroom or your scholarship? Contact: