Introduction by Devyn Kessinger
What is a sense of place? After watching the 1979 film Breaking Away, set and filmed in Bloomington, the junior class of The Academy of Science and Entrepreneurship, led by their brilliant teacher, Rachel Bahr, investigated what exactly a sense of place is and what it means to have one.
Each year, ASE’s English 11 students are challenged by the question “How can you, as a resident of Bloomington, share your ‘sense of place’ in an immersive audio tour?” Then they produce their videos and graciously share them with LP’s readers. | Courtesy photo
As described by ASE student, Luca DeFelice, a sense of place is described as “a place full of sentimental memories that you feel emotionally connected to.” Trinity Ramage added to that by saying a sense of place is “somewhere where you aren’t afraid to be yourself.” We all have these places locally that we associate with sweet memories and a sense of belonging, and this project has allowed us to explore just how important these places are to our sense of self.
After each student chose their own “sense of place,” we were challenged by the question “How can you, as a resident of Bloomington, share your ‘sense of place’ in an immersive audio tour?”
This project has shown that we have the strongest relationships with places that give off feelings of warmth and nostalgia. Izzy Carey associates the smells of tea with her sense of place. Hunter Olsen remembers playing at Upper Cascades as a kid. It is these memories along with the sights, smells, and sounds of these places that generate a welcoming environment that each holds a place in our hearts. Which is why by collaborating with Limestone Post Magazine, we have worked to create video tours of each of our sense of places, to share with you what they mean to us and what it’s like to experience these small pieces of Bloomington through our eyes.
Thank you, and please enjoy!
Devyn Kessinger
