Reflections on the Project

What did you enjoy about this project?

• I loved getting to choose a topic and having the freedom to bring it in one direction or another. I became less interested in how the policy changes affected women and decided to look at student-athletes overall. With a bit of work, I was able to do that.

What surprised you about this project?

• I was surprised at how few sources it took to learn and draw conclusions. I thought I would need two or three times the amount that I had. I am glad that my sources were sufficient, because I may not have had time to properly treat them all if there had been more.

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

• The most challenging part was managing all of my sources. It was hard to keep track of what was used, keep my citations paired with their respective sources, and sift through what was not helpful.

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

• I would focus more on analysis of each source as I found them. When collecting sources I sketched out how I would use each, but it was hard at the end to analyze everything when school became more busy at the end of the semester.

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

• I learned about how people in different positions of power and different levels of knowledge can have different perceptions of change. The administrators and teachers seemed to view Calgaard's changes as overwhelmingly positive, students under his administration disliked his policies, and students in my time do not know who he is or what he changed.

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

• I learned that pushback does not necessitate failure, and that public image is not crucial to success. I admire the way Dr. Calgaard held firm to what he believed, even if those he was trying to help wanted nothing to do with him. I think he balanced well the desires of the students and what he though was best for them, without letting their protests drown out his ideas. Often times, people and companies are ruined by a mispoken word or public outrage. I think Calgaard remained unphased because his goal was not his personal gain; he sacrificed his reputation with students in order to deliver the changes he believed in.