A Headshot

Author: Sydnie Smith | Majors: History and Political Science

Hi there! My name is Sydnie Smith, and I am a history and political science major in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. I researched under Dr. Hodge, the Director of Grants and Research Innovation, and Dr. Hancox, the Director of Career Innovation. We researched together this past semester, Spring 2022, compiling an oral history project about the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas. This oral history was fulfilling in many ways, as important accounts of how the Symphony was formed, how it became so successful, and more were preserved. We were able to hear and analyze first-hand accounts of how the formation of the Symphony aided the development of the vibrant arts community in Northwest Arkansas, showing the great importance of symphonies and their impacts on culture. This research proved to be so in-depth and significant that I plan to use it to craft my own honors thesis this upcoming school year.

The rest of my research team and Dr. Hodge partnered with the Pryor Center to help these histories come to life through the use of professional recording and editing. With these tools, we were able to conduct interviews and be able to publish those interviews onto the Internet as a high-quality visual recording.

This initial research topic and experience came to life when Dr. Hodge sent out a memo, advertising that she was looking for students who may be interested in aiding the development of an oral history project over the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas. I met with Dr. Hodge after emailing her about the position and we were able to discuss the benefits of the research and how it was all planned to be conducted.

Though I knew the topic of the research from my discussions with Dr. Hodge, I had no idea how truly complex the topic actually would present itself to be. When we delved into the research, we found notable events that we previously were not aware of – such as how far back the Symphony was conceptualized (the 1950s), times where the Symphony almost fell apart and was able to find communal support to build itself back up again, and more. The intriguing part of this research was not just the information that we were able to record but also what it showed me. I always felt I would do my own honors thesis over a historical topic that was far removed from myself. However, this research showed me the value of preserving local history and how fulfilling this research really can be.

It showed me I can find treasure troves of history within our own state that are worth looking into. I know that my fellow teammates saw this too, as we worked together on organizing interviews and learning how to make an oral history project. Beyond my teammates, my faculty members were also of great help to me, as they facilitated our contact with the Pryor Center and helped find the best interviewees that we could reach out to. They overall guided us through each and every step of the process, giving great encouragement along with it.

As I wrap up my Spring research and reflect back on all the experiences, professional development, and skills that I was able to acquire throughout the semester, I can look confidently towards the future, feeling equipped to use this research to develop my own honors thesis, serving as a basis for all other research opportunities for here on out.