Involvement
A page within Oral History Program
In the initial set of “College Life” oral histories, we asked our interviewees to help us round out the picture of what being a college student at UWL historically involved ca. the late 1970s - early 2020s. Coursework captures just one part of who a college student is and might become. Living conditions associated with the dorms can certainly add more color. But, what else is part of college life besides going to classes and living in the dorms?
As we start a new semester at UWL, the “College Life” interviewees have us thinking about the wider set of activities and relationships that round out the world of the college student. In this blog post, we preview a few kinds of involvement-related information from our new oral history collection.
“I just decided to kinda go for it, and I emailed the head coach.” – Aliyah (first year: 2016)
The pressure to be a “joiner” can seem intense at the start of college? Aliyah describes how she landed a support position with the football team. In this case, an interest she developed in high school continued into her college years.
Sororities, Professional Societies, Residence Life Leadership Roles, Upward Bound
In their oral histories, “College Life” interviewees described a wide range of organizations and campus work they tried out during their years at UWL. These clips include recollections about a service-minded sorority (Alpha Phi), a professional development-related honor society (Eta Gamma Sigma), roles in Residence Life and Student Government, pay-it-forward opportunities to help high school students (Upward Bound), and a Geography Club that planned trips to Mexico and the Soviet Union. We at OHP were especially delighted to discover UWL students in the mid-1980s could become an “Energy Watchdog” for the dorm!
Alpha Phi – Aliyah (first year: 2016)
Eta Gamma Sigma and Resident Assistant – Katy (first year: 2018)
Residence Hall Association Council (R.H.A.C) and Resident Assistant – Alex (first year: 2011)
Residence Hall Association Council (R.H.A.C), Energy Watchdog, WEIRDO Committee – Troy (first year: 1984)
Upward Bound – Troy (first year: 1984)
Upward Bound – Katie (first year: 2011)
Geography Club – Wayne (first year: 1973)
Post-College Perspectives: Mentorship, Confidence, Career-Readiness
In addition to what we remember about past events, the oral history interviewing process also invites us to decide what we think the meaning and significance of those past events or experiences is. So we’ll close with three examples of “College Life” interviewees explaining why the things they did outside of attending classes matter to them 30, 46, or 5 year after starting college at UWL.
Finding Confidence – Karolyn (first year: 1993)
Finding Mentorship – Mike (first year: 1977)
Landing a job – Ashlyn (first year: 2018)
Production credits: writing by Tiffany Trimmer, research and conceptualization by Shaylin Crack, web design by Olivia Steil, collection processing by Shaylin Crack, Julia Milne, and Isaac Wegner.
