Jack Gieseking and Crystal Hall recently spoke with Emi Gaal ’15 about her experience in the new “Gateway to the Digital Humanities” course.
Why are you taking the Gateway course?
As someone more involved in the humanities and social sciences, this class seemed like a nice first segue into the more technical realm of computer science while still focusing on broad objectives in both social and technical sciences. Additionally, I have always wanted to take both a computer science class and an art history class at Bowdoin, as both are very interesting to me, and the interdisciplinary nature of this class has provides a great introduction to both.
What has surprised you in the seminar so far?
I am most surprised by how useful it is to understand the methodology behind programming within programs such as GIS, as it allows the user to be more intentional about the commands he or she aims to carry out. Being more in the “know” about how the whole digital sphere operates is empowering and I believe it will help me better understand the possibilities and limitations of executing projects.
Do you have any early ideas about your final project?
I don’t have an idea just yet, but I think using GIS, as it is a program with which I am already proficient, would prove to be a great tool to incorporate. Also, since we have only covered one other topic, image analysis, aside from spatial analysis, I feel like I should wait until I have a better idea of what the other topics and tools are in which I could dabble before I solidify an idea.