Reflection

What did you enjoy about this project?

I enjoyed the opportunity this project gave me to explore a topic that not many people, and certainly not many current students, may have knowledge of. I also enjoyed seeing this project come together and evolve as I learned more, from a photograph to an immersive essay and exhibit.

What surprised you about this project?

I was surprised by the amount of information that I was able to find about Lee Roy, especially in the Trinitonian. Short of mentioning that Trinity used to have a live mascot, I had heard very little of Lee Roy, and anticipated that I would have a hard time finding information. Reading the articles found in the Trinitonian and seeing pictures, Lee Roy’s arrival was thoroughly documented, which is a testament to the significant cultural shift that took place on campus at that time.

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

The most challenging aspect for me was that I had a difficult time focusing the direction of my essay and research on one topic; every new piece of information made me want to focus on a different aspect of what it means to have a live mascot on campus. What I found to be helpful was establishing a timeline of what I wanted to say and focusing not just on what happened, but why it was so significant and how it differs from what we see today.

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

If I could start over, I would have liked to visit the Special Collections to look at information in person. Given the circumstances, this was not possible, and I was able to find many unique articles and pieces of information online, but I found myself wondering if there were things that may have been overlooked because I wasn’t able to use this resource.

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

One thing that I learned about the historical process is the importance of understanding the context in which the story you are trying to tell resides. Some of the information that I found, such as Lee Roy’s retirement, can be further explained within the context of the Endangered Species Act, adding another layer and more information to help understand the reasoning behind his retirement.

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

One thing that this project demonstrated is how interconnected we are, and the impact that one decision or action can have on history. Before this project, I never would have thought that the reason for our school’s mascot was an MLB team from Michigan, or that we asked Mrs. Kennedy for a tiger cub she received as a gift. These facts that seemingly unrelated people and periods had such a significant impact on Trinity’s story, and I think that the same thing could be applied not only to history, but to our lives currently.