Sierra Banks

While taking Dr. Tre’s class, “WEST 3090: Peep Show: Sex in Pop Culture” during the Spring ’22 semester, I had the privilege of conducting an interview for The Colorado Springs LGBTQ+ Oral History Project. A collaboration between Colorado College and UCCS students, this project strives to document and preserve the lives, memories, and experiences of the LGBTQ+ community here in Colorado Springs.

Our class spent over half of the semester preparing ourselves to conduct these interviews. From writing interview questions, filling out consent forms, and doing practice runs, we kept ourselves busy. During class periods, we would bounce ideas off each other, and collaborate as a class, even though we only had one true partner. I was lucky enough to work with Jailene Kontz, who put her all into this project, just as I did. We spent late nights texting back and forth about potential interview questions and how nervous we both were that somehow, we would get this interview wrong. Eventually, we both had to “suck it up” and brave through our interview, hoping nothing would go wrong.

Together, Jailene and I interviewed Suzanne Anderson, a special education teacher in District 11. It went better than expected. Suzanne and I had natural conversation throughout the interview, and she was more than willing to share everything that she had been through. Although it was nerve wracking to work on a project of such intense cultural significance, it was also extremely rewarding. Suzanne taught me so much about the history of Colorado Springs, her own experiences, and how to be the bigger person. It was so rewarding to interview and speak with someone that I would not normally come across if it weren’t for my classes here at UCCS.

Opportunities like these are why I love the WEST program. A lot of learning happens outside of the classroom, presenting us all with a chance to grow our skills and meet new individuals. I am so grateful for each of the professors that I have had so far within WEST—for breaking me out of my comfort zone, but also supporting me in my worries. I would not be the person I am today without making the decision to switch my major to WEST. Listen on Spotify and the Colorado College Charles L. Tutt Library.