We love to learn about what students are up to in the Mudd!
Shang Li is a government and history major hailing all the way from TianJin, China. She plans to attend graduate school after commencement this spring.
Shang kindly agreed to talk to us about what she’s been working on in the library.
Shang, what have you been researching?
The Italian Holocaust through historical film.
What library materials and resources have been the most useful to you in pursuing this research?
The librarians at our reference desk. They are so knowledgeable, kind and patient. I am never scared to ask questions; they always have answers and sometimes, candy and cookies!
What are you hoping to learn or gain from this research?
To think more like a historian. I am gaining skills and abilities to support my passion for history for the rest of my life. Whether or not my future career will be related to history, I hope to become an independent researcher during my free time.
Why do you think this research is important?
There has been much research on the Holocaust, but the Italian Holocaust is indeed a very special case. Exploring the Italian Holocaust through written history, but also through historical films, provides me with a unique perspective on this topic. In addition, this research has allowed me to make connections between written history and historical films, as well as the time periods during which the films were made, and to see how those factors influence the works. This is also fascinating to me.
How did you become interested in this line of research?
I took a course with Professor Paul Cohen called “History as Films, Films as History,” where we discussed historical films. I’m actually using my favorite films for my current project. I did a historiography project with Professor Peter Blitstein on “Hitler’s Foreign Policy and the Origins of the Second World War.” During this project, I developed an academic interest in studying Mussolini’s Fascist Italy. Because of my interests in both historical films and Mussolini, it was only logical for me to pursue a capstone project devoted to connecting both topics.
What would you like your fellow students to know about the Mudd Library?
The Mudd library is very helpful! It is also in a great location- close to the Wellness Center and Andrew Commons.