Student experience

Classroom instruction is a critical component to receiving a good education. But as students in the Southeast Missouri State University historic preservation program have realized, in-the-field training can also be beneficial.

Though they receive no university credit, 11 students from the program have volunteered time on weekends in recent months to help in the restoration of the 170-year-old Miller House in Bloomfield, Mo. The project has been a winning combination. Those behind the restoration project benefit from the student help, while students also gain practical experience.

Dr. Steven Hoffman, the university's historic preservation program coordinator and a professor of history, said another opportunity for students to gain practical experience is upcoming. Some of Hoffman's students in the Legal and Economic Principles of Historic Preservation course will conduct a historic resource survey this spring in neighborhoods south of Highway 74 in Cape Girardeau. Hoffman said this effort continues a partnership started around 1996 between the university and city. Other projects are also planned.

We commend the historic preservation program, the students and the communities that partner with them. As the Southeast Missourian has reported, there are several historic buildings in the area. While not all have been saved, some can and should, when deemed appropriate, be considered for preservation. Perhaps these students, both now and in the future, will play a role in that effort.