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Stephanie Hicks

Stephanie Hicks headshot with title 'stephanie connected taylor swift lyrics with human stories in vanderbilt's library archives
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The Tortured Poets Department: Vanderbilt's Version

Experience Mentors: Sarah Calise and Mary McSparran, Special Collections and University Archives

Immersion Vanderbilt Faculty Adviser: Sheri Shaneyfelt, Department of History of Art and Architecture

Pathway: Innovation, Arts, and Design

Through the Buchanan Library Fellowship, Stephanie Hickman collaborated with Special Collections and University Archives librarians (Sarah Calise & Mary McSparran) and three other undergraduate students to create The Tortured Poets Department: Vanderbilt's Version. 

Through this multimedia virtual exhibit, the team explored how Taylor Swift's lyrics resonate with human stories and histories preserved in Vanderbilt's archives. Along the way, they learned about primary source preservation, description, research, and exhibit curation and design.

Stephanie curated three exhibits ("The Tortured Poets Department," "The Manuscript," and "How Did it End?") and ultimately used this work as her Immersion Vanderbilt culminating project. 

Explore The Tortured Poets Department: Vanderbilt's Version

I got to comb through medieval manuscripts, various art books and more in Special Collections. I was able to combine a lot of knowledge learned in her classes with my personal interests for the fellowship project."