Reflection

What did you enjoy about this project?

   This project has definitely gave me insight on a subject that I really had no prior knowledge on. I truly enjoyed this project because it gave me the opportunity to interact with people that I normally would not talk to. It also gave me an opportunity to hear people's stories about how Title IX personally impacted them and the injustices that the people that I interviewed saw before them.

What surprised you about this project?

   While funding for Title IX may not have had an extreme impact on Trinity, it has had one in other big Division 1 schools. This surprised me because while doing research, I came across a number of articles where many athletic directors in bigger schools were against the implementation of Title IX and once it was implemented many people tried to protest it because it took away from their prized men's athletic teams. While Title IX was such a monumental event for women, it completely took me by surprise the number of people that were against it because it could potentially take away funding from a male sport.

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

   The most challenging aspect of my project was definitely finding the right people to talk to that were knowledgeable about the subject that I was trying to investigate. It was very difficult and frustrating to get a breakthrough with my project. Once I found the right person to talk to however, I became more confident and motivated that my project could actually turn into something. I was able to manage the frustrations of my project taking a step back and analyzing another angle that I could take to potentially lead me in the right direction.

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

   If I could start over, I think I would stick with the same subject, but I would like to analyze a bigger university where there would be more public and published information. Also, I would like to analyze different scandals that have surfaced at larger universities regarding Title IX. I think that would be an interesting topic to dive into.

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

   I learned that there is always something more to be found or uncovered. With history, the learning is never ending and while doing this project I felt like an investigator. I also learned that you have to be able to communicate with people well to be able to get what you need. Communication is key especially in the historical process because a lot of information at least in my case is by word of mouth.

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

   I think this project has helped me significantly with my communication skills. Having to overcome the nervousness of talking with people that I do not know and being able to communicate with others in a professional manner is great practice for life outside the classroom