The Special Collections and University Archives could not function without the amazing student workers who assist the staff on a daily basis on numerous projects including paging materials for researchers, fulfilling scanning and photocopying requests, and processing collections, among numerous other requests. Throughout this school year we will be highlighting these students each week to showcase their interests and some of their favorite collections in our repository.

What is your Major/Minor? What is your career goal? : I have a goal to be a Sports Business Major with a career goal of one day working for a professional sports organization such as the NBA or MLB.

Why do you like working at Special Collections and University Archives?  I love working in SCUA because each day brings a new topic to research, and each day brings new surprises. It is never just a typical day in SCUA.

What is your Favorite item or collection in our repository?  My favorite item I have been asked to pull was the University of Oregon football records. Those were very intriguing to look up and they were of interest to me, as well as, the researcher.

What do you like to do in your spare time? I typically go to the gym or hang out with friends and my brothers of the Kappa Sigma fraternity.

Below is a historic image of some Kappa Sigma seniors (ca. 1930):

Kappa Sigma Seniors, ca. 1930. University Archive photographs; UA Ref 3.

Get to know other Student Workers here.

The Special Collections and University Archives could not function without the amazing student workers who assist the staff on a daily basis on numerous projects including paging materials for researchers, fulfilling scanning and photocopying requests, and processing collections, among numerous other requests. Throughout this school year we will be highlighting these students each week to showcase their interests and some of their favorite collections in our repository.

What is your Major/Minor? I’m majoring in Sociology, minoring in Political Science and earning a certificate in the Substance Abuse Prevention Program (SAPP) offered here. If you’re unfamiliar with what SAPP is, it “provides academic course work in the areas of alcohol and drug prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery.” I’m doing this program because there isn’t a criminology major offered at the University of Oregon.

What is your career goal? I have no idea what I want to do with my life but I know I want to work with crimes and/or crime victims. I used to want to be a Crime Scene Investigator but as I got older and my tolerance for blood fell, I knew that wasn’t the career path for me. I’m not sure if I want to be a counselor or work specifically with crime cases, but I know that criminology/criminal justice is a field I want to be involved in.

Why do you like working at Special Collections and University Archives? I like working at Special Collections and University Archives because everything is so historical and interesting. I had no idea a place like that even existed and it’s really awesome that I get to look at diaries and manuscripts written from so long ago and it’s amazing how communication have changed since then. It’s just really cool looking at old documents like that because that isn’t something that is popular anymore.

What is your Favorite item or collection in our repository? Since I’m still relatively new, I haven’t seen a lot of what Special Collections and University Archives has to offer but I definitely think looking at letters from hundreds of years ago and reading how people wrote to each other and the condition that the paper they wrote on is in is so fascinating to me. Sometimes people unaffiliated with the University of Oregon come to read these letters and want to transcribe them and I have no idea how they can even read it because it’s written in beautiful cursive that’s very difficult to read but it’s amazing that they want to take time out of their lives to research and devote their time to this.

The Special Collections and University Archives could not function without the amazing student workers who assist the staff on a daily basis on numerous projects including paging materials for researchers, fulfilling scanning and photocopying requests, and processing collections, among numerous other requests. Throughout this school year we will be highlighting these students each week to showcase their interests and some of their favorite collections in our repository.

What is your major/minor? My major is Russian studies, with an emphasis in Russian history. I’m intrigued by the ethical and philosophical implications of Communism, especially in relation to premeditation and personal actualization. I am considering a minor in either folklore or creative writing, both of which work with individual experience within larger social and thematic systems.

What is your career goal?  When I am older, I would like to be an archivist. I discovered this passion for records and historical documentation while working at Special Collections and University Archives: first hand, I have seen archival sciences bring together a diverse group of people who share the common goal of higher thinking.

Why do you like working  at Special Collections and University Archives? I love Special Collections because it feeds my natural affinity for retrospection and provides a positive work environment. The atmosphere is progressive. Down time is valued and respected. We are a repository of deep knowledge in an era that prioritizes instantaneous information. The people I work with are ethical, aware, and forward-thinking, and I am always learning from them.

What is your favorite item or collection in our repository? Choosing a favorite item is so difficult — so little time, you know. I think the SWORP (South West Oregon Research Project) collection is of special interest, as it utilizes original materials to explore Native experiences throughout Oregon. The documentation of indigenous languages and the re-examination of colonialist history is critical, especially now, when these narratives are so in danger of being diluted or lost to a monolithic American future.