COMMUNITY
Students Uncover Patient Histories
The former Crownsville Hospital has a painful past when African American men
and women were housed and treated for mental illness in
separate facilities from white
patients. The lives of former patients – some
of whom are buried in unmarked graves
on the property – have been lost to
time, but HCC students are working to identify these
individuals, fi nd their stories, and build their
histories. The students, who are members of
the college's chapter
of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society, combed through census records
from
1920 – 1940, available from Ancestry.com, and then connected names with death
records, primary source
documents, and other research to identify the men and women who
called the hospital their home. Students and chapter advisor Dr. Laura Cripps, acting chair
of social and cultural sciences, recently participated in an interview on WYPR's "Maryland
Morning." Listen
at wypr.org/post/remembering-those-sent-crownsville-hospital.
#MDCCsWork on Student Advocacy Day
Community colleges took center stage at the state capitol in February as hundreds of community college students and supporters
came together for Student Advocacy Day. An annual event started by Dr. Kate Hetherington 15 years ago, the day provides students the
opportunity to meet with their legislators, tell their personal stories, and request support for community colleges during the state budget
process. In recognition of the important role community colleges play in developing the workforce of the future, students shared their
Student Advocacy Day experiences on social media via #MDCCsWork.
Spring 2015 | Pathways 13
