“I feel like curiosity drives me to be a better person,” said rising junior communication studies student Aidan Gallo. 

Originally an undeclared major, Gallo made the most of his first year as a communication studies student by doing research on sea shanties with Director of Undergraduate Studies Scott Gratson, TYL ’19, and presenting research on Muslim representation in media at the Eastern Communication Association Convention in March. 

Gallo and Gratson first connected during office hours while Gallo was taking CMST 1111: Communication and Public Life. Upon learning that Gallo had drum corps and other music experience, Gratson mentioned that recently he had been wanting to explore an intersection between music and crew. That is, is there a connection between the fall of sea shanties and the rise of coxswain calls?

Though he did not expect to go to office hours and exit with a research proposal, Gallo agreed to explore the topic and began his work by meeting with a librarian at the Charles Library. 

Researching the culture of rowing is much different than researching a specific event, Gallo said. For example, there wasn’t much reason to document coxswain calls even as competitive crew was on the rise in places like Cambridge University and Oxford University. This led him to research the cultural environment of the coasts of England where there was also a history of sea shanties. 

In addition to going to the library, Gallo also took his hypothesis to a regatta where he took notes on the articulation and cadence of the rowers and coxswains. 

After Gallo familiarized himself with the world of crew and the history behind it, Gratson suggested that the pair present their findings to the Oxford History Forum. Though he was nervous, Gallo agreed and noted that Gratson has a way of saying things and seeing the potential in his students that makes them want to pursue opportunities like this one. 

At the forum via Skype, Gratson provided historical context while Gallo presented his research findings. This included hopping on his drum kit to demonstrate tempos and music theory! Gratson has presented and seen a lot through the forum over the years, but never saw a lecture on history accompanied by someone on a drum set, he said. 

As Gallo and Gratson wrapped up their work on sea shanties, the former mentioned a content analysis he did for ADV 1101: Introduction to Media and Society on the representation of Muslims in the media. Gallo’s analysis centered on the television show Ramy that depicts the life of American Muslims living in New Jersey. 

Through his research, Gallo discovered that at the time, only 1% of characters in American media were Muslim. In addition, Islam is one of the most diverse religions in the world so shows like Ramy are only representing a small fraction of the total population. 

While discussing Gallo’s work, Gratson encouraged him to apply to present it at this year’s Eastern Communication Association Convention. Specifically, Gratson thought the work would be best presented as a poster where attendees could take in the information and converse with Gallo in a more personal setting. 

“The show that he is analyzing really forces us to have much more complex discussions about a very complex topic,” Gratson said. 

Gratson is confident that Gallo has gotten the “research bug” and is excited to see what he does next. 

“It was a really beautiful thing because he’s so smart, he has the drive and he has the passion to learn and discover new things,” said Gallo’s friend Milo Shea of his research journey. 

Shea is a communication studies and advertising student and instantly clicked with Gallo when they finally met this year after knowing of each other through Gratson. Shea noted that Gallo is very humble about all he has accomplished and is consistent in his commitment to all of his endeavors. 

Looking back on his year of exploration, Gallo reflected on how he used to feel about research. That is, he used to think it required some crazy amount of dedication and skills that had been developing for years. But now, he knows that if you have the curiosity and the perseverance, anyone can do it!