Self-Reflection (Matt Jones)

What did you enjoy about this project? 

I enjoyed the opportunity to get to know more about one of the men who helped guide and transform Trinity University into the school it is today. Getting to interview President Calgaard was a blast because he had so much information to share about the history of Trinity, its athletics, and his vision for the school. 

What surprised you about this project? 

The most surprising thing about this project for me was learning that President Calgaard instituted the three-year residency requirement here at Trinity. I did not realize that decision had been made rather recently, in the past 30 years or so. 

What was the most challenging aspect of this project, and how did you manage it? 

The most challenging aspect of this project was synthesizing all of the different information I obtained from various sources into one story. It is difficult when events are told from different perspectives to choose which one you want to side with and who's view you agree with. I managed this challenge by trying to dig deeper in my interviews and research to find more clarity on which set of events seemed to be supported by more sources. 

If you could start over, what would you do differently? 

I would interview more people who were at Trinity during this time period. I would try to interview Coach Jenkins and potentially Mrs. Calgaard as well as others who remember this time period and these changes at Trinity. I think it would be interesting too to get a student's perspective on all of the different changes that happened while President Calgaard was in charge. 

What did you learn about historyand/or the historical process through this project? 

I learned that history is told differently depending on who you ask or who is telling the story. This makes it difficult to find out who is tellling the "truth" but that is just it, I do not think their is one singular truth. I think their are many different perspectives and lenses through which to view things and it is up to you to decide which lense or viewpoint you like the best. 

What did you learn through this project that can be applied to life outside the classroom? 

I learned that people love to tell their stories and if you are open minded and eager to listen, there is a lot we can learn from others and from history.