A “Rock in Rio” cigarette lighter, a hand-sewn prayer mat stitched by a mother in Bangladesh, and a jar of spicy salsa from Nova Scotia are all part of a new exhibit called Home is Here on the main floor of the Queen Elizabeth II Library. 

These seemingly incongruous objects are all linked by a question posed by Emma Lang, a PhD student with Memorial’s history department.

As an international student from Massachusetts in the United States, Ms. Lang noticed international students on campus don’t seem to interact with their Canadian student counterparts; in particular in university departments where numbers of international students are low.

“People don’t realize how diverse campus is ... or even how diverse the staff is … but as an international student, and being part of that world, I saw how diverse campus was so I started to think of ways to get that discussion going,” she said.

She asked students, faculty and staff to contribute an object that reminded them of where they come from and who they were for the exhibit.

“I thought it would be cool to propose a project to try and start the conversation about what does it mean to be part of a diverse campus,” Ms. Lang said. “What do we each contribute? What does it mean to be from away? What counts as away? Are you from away if you are from St. Mary’s or are you from away if you’re from Bonavista?"

There were some parameters around the types of objects she collected. For example, no family photos were accepted; she wanted more physical manifestations of home, things a little less obvious.

Ms. Lang has a master's degree in museum studies from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She has known, since the age of 14 when she began volunteering at the historical home of Louisa May Alcott, of Little Women fame, that teaching and exhibition development are her passion. There was no existential career crisis, just a meandering path to the varied work and study that brings her joy.
 
“What I love about museums is that the best exhibits are the ones that are exciting for four-year-olds and 80-year-olds and those they can talk about with each other. People have a relationship with things that is really special, and really cool and really exciting.”

More unexpected than the 30 objects collected for Home is Here are the stories that accompany them.

 “The objects themselves, all of them were a surprise on some level because they are all so different and I love that they are so different,” said Ms. Lang. “Some of the stories are amazing. There is a Russian student who decided he wasn’t going to bring any baggage and only brought a 50-ruble note.”

He told Ms. Lang that when the customs officials questioned him about the fact that he had no baggage, he told them he could buy everything he needed at the Avalon Mall --including a toothbrush. He had never been to St. John’s, or Newfoundland and Labrador before for that matter, but he Googled it in advance of his arrival.
 
Nabila Huq from Bangladesh contributed the hand-sewn prayer mat her mother made her. It was light enough for her to put in her purse and make the journey to Canada with her.

“I think it is a very interesting idea and I think this is a unique idea, said Ms. Huq. “I thought very carefully about what I could contribute that would be interesting and representative of a lifestyle back home.”

Home is Here is on display until April 13, and is accompanied by maps illustrating the diversity and geographical context of the exhibitors. There is also an interactive board for students, faculty and staff to engage with the exhibit and discuss what being part of a diverse community means to them.