MSMS Students Strengthen Historical Ties with $500 Gift to W Archives

Students from the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science used the profits from the annual Tales from the Crypt event to give back to the community through donations. One of those donations was $500 to Mississippi University for Women’s Beulah Culbertson Archives and Special Collections, which provided inspiration for some of the projects and hosted students as they spent hours researching for their performances.

“We are so thankful for Stephanie Salvaterra for her help, not only in helping the students do research in the archives, but also in helping to identify the research subjects,” said Chuck Yarborough, history teacher at MSMS and Tales from the Crypt director.

Housed on The W’s campus since its inception in 1987, MSMS has enjoyed a long, interconnected history with the University.

Tales from the Crypt, an event that The W’s Archives has supported in previous years, is just one of several collaborations between Fant Memorial Library and MSMS students.

“Helping people access information about the University’s history and build their understanding of its story is central to the archives’ mission,” said Salvaterra. “Tales from the Crypt is a perfect example of how meaningful that sharing of stories can be. That Tales has built the audience and acclaim it has is a testament not only to Chuck and his students’ hard work, but to the Columbus community’s investment and interest in the history it shares with The W and MSMS. I’m honored to be involved.”

The donation was presented Monday, May 19, by the students who researched important figures from The W’s history in the archives, for this year’s program.

The money is not earmarked for any particular project, but instead will be used to purchase supplies for the archives.

“These funds will greatly help with preserving items,” said Hillary Richardson, dean of Library Services at The W. “We are also looking toward building a fund in the archives for student research fellowships, which are being modeled on collaborations with MSMS researchers.”

Salvaterra said she looks forward to continuing the partnership in the coming years.

“I’m thrilled the students enjoyed their experience using the archives, it was fun to see them get to know their subjects over time,” she said. “I look forward to continuing the archives’ collaboration with MSMS and supporting more students’ research- keep an eye out for more W stories next year!”