Enriching the student academic experience is an important aspect of the Documentary and Oral History Studio (DOHS). There are several ways in which you can become involved:

Take a class that uses the studio as a resource. Currently, Dr. Nystrom offers two classes that incorporate the Studio. One is a First Year Seminar titled "Food, Ethnicity, and Community." In the 2012-2013 academic year, two different sections of this course learned the basics of filming oral history interviews and recorded six studio sessions with interviewees from our community partner, Dooky Chase Restaurant. The other his History A404, "New Orleans Stories." In the fall of 2012, students in this class teamed up with the International Longshoremen's Association Local 3000 and produced the short feature On the Waterfront: Conversations with New Orleans Longshoremen. Four students from this class presented the film at the 2013 Southern Labor Studies Conference. In the fall of 2013, students in A404 will produce short feature films on the theme of New Orleans "Brain Gain." 

Become an employee of the Studio. If you qualify for the Federal Work/Study program, you may be able to receive an assignment to the Studio. Student workers perform a variety of tasks including the transcription of oral history interviews, performing video edits, assisting with filming, and keeping our online presence up to date. As the Studio is able to attract outside support, it will increase our ability to hire students through the school year as well as summer months, enabling Loyola students to "earn while they learn."

Engage in oral history research. Advanced students pursuing a thesis in history should consider contacting Dr. Nystrom to see if an oral history research agenda and documentary film is feasible for their thesis idea. You will be guided through the process of IRB (Institutional Review Board) protocol, assisted along the way with the Studio's Umbrella IRB process. Guidance on equipment and technique are also available.