Reflection

What did you enjoy about this project? I enjoyed learning more about a sport I never knew existed!

What surprised you about this project? I was surprised to find out that ITWP does not currently exist at Trinity. I know how big and successful swimming and diving is here. It is interesting to learn it died in the 2000s. 

What was the most challenging aspect of the project, and how did you manage it? Scheduling interviews, as well as finding people to interview, was certainnly tricky. Howewver, once I started my interviews, the interviewees often had suggestions for me. 

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

I would have done more preliminary research on ITWP. I certainly think I could have done this project on the teams rather than just the Gammas who played. Next time, I'll do more

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

I learned how difficult historical research is! My project relied on interviews since I could only find so much information in sources like the Trinitonian or Mirage. It was tricky at times to find people to interview as well as confirming everything they said was factual. Obviously stories about personal experiences and personal stories are one thing. When it came to things like pledge class year and team names, I wanted to confirm everything was accurate.

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

I think the biggest thing was telling the stories of women. I have really enjoyed looking at women in intermural sports. Maybe that is due to my own biases as a member of Greek life and as a woman, but I feel like it’s a fun, semi-underground story to tell. My overall point here is that my different perspectives have led me here. It helped me tell a story that many others might not normally think about. This can be applied outside the classroom by keeping an eye out for minorities and un-told stories, especially ones where your experiences lead you there.