ESP Biography



VICTORIA ZEAMER, Wellesley junior studying American Studies & Media



Major: Comparative Media Studies

College/Employer: MIT

Year of Graduation: G

Picture of Victoria Zeamer

Brief Biographical Sketch:

I’m Vicky Zeamer, a Wellesley College student (currently pursuing an exchange year at Dartmouth College) studying Media Arts & Sciences (similar to MIT's Comparative Media Studies program) as well as American Studies.

I am interested in consumer culture, constructions of identity, how people interact with technology and objects, the influence and opportunities of media, and the history of the United States. My research has really focused on the history of consumerism in the United States, such as the invention of the American mall, how Native American economies and cultures changed with the influx of European material goods, and the role of bar patronage in the American Revolution.

When I am not studying, I am either sailing, watching TV online, or rolling around with my dog and cats.



Past Classes

  (Clicking a class title will bring you to the course's section of the corresponding course catalog)

A8438: Deconstructing Design in HSSP Summer 2014 (Jul. 06, 2014)
Do you cringe when you see Comic Sans used in a serious setting? Have you ever had to help your parents navigate a website? Does the future of media excite you? Get ready to explore some of the different fields and methods within the broad discipline of design. We will explore topics such as human centered design, graphic design/typography, creative thinking methods (“design thinking”), and existing/emerging technologies in relation to design. This is a perfect opportunity to learn about applied art, and to better understand the built environment and media that surrounds us in society. EXPECTATIONS: We will be studying, discussing and playing with these topics/theories, however, it should be noted that this is NOT a production course. Short readings will be suggested.


Z7387: Let's Go to the Mall!: American Ideals, Values, and Capitalism Through Architecture and Materialism in Splash! 2013 (Nov. 23 - 24, 2013)
Disneyland is often seen as a place for fun and imagination, but in what ways did Walt Disney try to promote American idealism through his theme parks? Why were the suburbs seen as an American answer to Communism? What did Frank Lloyd Wright have to do with the concept of a nuclear family? In what way was the invention of the mall seen as an American version of European plazas? How did department stores and factories change the way consumers thought about material goods and trading? We will turn back the dial on United States history and culture to see how these spaces are uniquely “American.” DISCLAIMER: We MAY also delve into tangent topics related to American consumerism/materialism such as tupperware, blue jeans, and retail therapy.