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Author: seidenbe

Season 3, Episode 10

Posted in Episodes

[Encore] After the War: Using Heritage to Rebuild

In case you missed it, we are re-releasing an episode from our first season.

The decade-long civil war in Syria has decimated the country’s infrastructure, killed more than 400,000 Syrians, and created the world’s largest displaced population of around 13 million. Heritage sites play a big role in war as targets of destruction and are typically an early focus of rebuilding efforts.

With an optimistic take on a devastating situation, alumna Dalia Mokayed talks about the effects of war on heritage and identity, and how heritage conservation can help cities and communities rebuild. The Aleppo native specifically addresses the Old City of Aleppo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the case study in her thesis, Heritage Conservation to Rebuild Cities After Crisis.

Season 3, Episode 7

Posted in Episodes, and Season 3

Bearing Witness:  World War II “Comfort Women” Stations

Warning: This episode features the difficult topic of sexual slavery during World War II.

Producer Willa Seidenberg talks with recent graduate Hanyu Chen about her thesis, “Our Bodies, Their Battlegrounds”: The Conservation of Comfort Stations in China. Before and during World War II, the Japanese Imperial Army forced women and girls into sexual slavery for the military in its occupied territories. Their captors called them “comfort women” and their prisons “comfort stations.” Two of the few remaining former comfort stations are in Hanyu’s hometown.

In this episode, Hanyu discusses how the “comfort women” system developed, why these crimes took so long to reach the public eye, and why conserving the few former stations is critical to reclaiming these women’s stories.

Season 3, Episode 6

Posted in Episodes, and Season 3

[Encore] Preserving That Signature Sound

In case you missed it, we are re-releasing an episode from our first season, chosen by our Save As intern, Emily Kwok. It’s an Emily’s Pick!

Have you ever considered sound a character-defining feature? Musician and recent USC grad Kasey Viso Conley certainly has. She knows why Nat King Cole, Janis Joplin, Van Halen, and countless other recording artists insisted on using specific studios to get a certain sound. It’s the physical environment of the studio, from acoustic tiles to echo chambers. Yet the transformation of recording technology has studios closing left and right. Why save these places when you can simulate their sounds at home with a digital plugin? How do you preserve pegboard that’s no longer made? Hear how Kasey explored these issues and many more in her thesis, Acoustic Heritage of Recording Studios: Physical Characteristics and Signature Sound.

Season 3, Episode 5

Posted in Episodes, and Season 3

[Encore] Fictional History: Recognizing TV and Film Locations

In case you missed it, we’re re-releasing an episode from last season, chosen by our Save As intern, Emily Kwok. It’s an Emily’s Pick!  

Should the Brady Bunch House be in the National Register of Historic Places? Why not? asks alum Jonathan Kaplan. In his master’s thesis, the TV writer-turned-heritage conservationist makes a case for designating sites specifically for their use in movies and TV shows. Along with literary precedent dating back to Chaucer, Jonathan cites the deep meaning and shared cultural experiences these places create. If a place inspires meaning, does it matter where that meaning comes from? Does reality matter in these fact-fluid times? Join us for a fascinating conversation that’s just the tip of the iceberg.