Twitter project to commemorate WWI centennial


LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas Center for Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies (CREES) has announced a new educational outreach initiative utilizing KU students, resources and social media to explore history related to World War I. The #KU_WWI Twitter Project will be a re-enactment of the June 28, 1914, assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, the historical incident often cited as the initial geopolitical event that resulted in World War I. 

During spring 2014, #KU_WWI Call for Tweeters will take place where students, faculty and staff can learn more about the war and have an opportunity to become re-enactors. Using a #KU_WWI Guide, participants will develop characters, Twitter handles, hashtags and 140-character tweets re-enacting the assassination. Tweets created at these events will form a re-enactment Master Script, which will live-tweet June 28, exactly 100 years after the event. The public will be able to follow along on Twitter through the hashtag #KU_WWI or through Twitter feeds on the CREES and European studies websites.

The #KU_WWI Twitter re-enactment will include a creative storytelling component utilizing the strengths of the community. The re-enactment will incorporate historical, geographical, literary and art references both past and present, making the project a humanities-driven exploration of the events leading up to World War I. Additionally, select tweets developed at the Call for Tweeters will be translated by students enrolled in language classes.

By inviting students to participate, the #KU_WWI Twitter Project will create an experiential learning opportunity to use social media as a tool for engaging different academic skills as well as integrate students and academic units for the study of a single, historical event.

Interested in participating? The first #KU_WWI Call for Tweeters will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 9, in the Malott Room of the Kansas Union. The second will take place at 7 p.m. April 30 in the Alderson Auditorium of the Kansas Union. Students, faculty, staff and members of the local community are welcome to participate in one or both of these events. Participants are encouraged to bring laptops. Snacks and door prizes will be available for participants.

Have questions? Email #KU_WWI Project Leader Sam Moore.

The project is a collaboration among CREES, the Ermal Garinger Academic Resource Center, European Studies Program, the departments of Germanic Languages & Literatures, History and Slavic Languages & Literatures, University Honors Program, Center for Global & International Studies, Global Awareness Program, Hall Center for the Humanities, KU Libraries, KU Memorial Unions and Spencer Museum of Art.

This project is part of the centennial commemoration of World War I. Learn more about participating units and upcoming programs online.

Tue, 04/08/2014

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Adrienne Landry

Media Contacts

Adrienne Landry

Center for Russian, Eastern European and Eurasian Studies

785-864-4237