About the Course

History 482 and the “What Happened Here” digital archive is meant to document and archive the various experiences of people involved in the student protests and occupation of Siemens Hall in April of 2024, the University responses, and the various events that cascaded out. 

“Involved” means a number of things. This includes students, those who led and joined the protests, those who observed the events, and those who were opposed or felt marginalized by the occupation and protest. It also includes faculty, staff, and administrators sharing their experience from their perspectives and roles as well as members of the law enforcement community, affected community members, and others. 

The intent of this project is to collect and archive a comprehensive collection of oral histories that bring together a wie range of perspectives and experiences, allowing us to better comprehend “what happened here.” We will also collect and archive materials such as photos, news articles, videos, art, etc. In the end we will build a digital archive on the University Library website with full public access and that will include the material collected.

The purpose is to gain a better understanding of what happened. Historians are often hampered by not having sources that reflect all perspectives and experiences. Therefore historical narratives are often warped by dominant perspectives. This project seeks to address that historical issue from the very beginning.

Scheduling of interviews is underway. Students and staff trained in oral history methodologies and trained for this project in particular will be conducting the interviews, which will continue into the fall or as needed to complete the study. 

Interviews will be set up via solicitations on the CAHSS social media sites, university emails, and by word of mouth. Those seeking to be completely anonymous have the option to sign up for their interview in person. A staff member will be on the 2nd floor of the Library every Wednesday from 1–3 p.m. to schedule anonymous interviews. The table where the staff member is sitting will have a sign that says “What Happened Here.”

FAQs

1. What is the purpose of the project, and why is it important to document as an oral history?
   This is an important event in the history of Cal Poly Humboldt with known and still unknown impacts. And it was part of a broader national movement reminiscent of the turbulence in the United States from the late 1960s. The purpose is to gain a better understanding of what happened. Historians are often hampered by not having sources that reflect all perspectives and experiences. Therefore historical narratives are often warped by dominant perspectives. This project seeks to address that historical issue from the very beginning.

2. How do you ensure diverse perspectives are included?
   We are advertising the project broadly, inviting participants via social media, email, and word of mouth, and we will interview anyone who volunteers. 

3. Who created the course? Who is teaching the class and who is conducting the interviews?
   The course was created by Dr. Jeff Crane, a historian with experience in public history. He is teaching the course, and he and students from the class are conducting interviews. 

4. What was the University’s process for approving the project? 
   The University process for approval and compliance was strictly followed. We applied for approval of the project and interviews of human subjects via the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and were approved. University leadership was briefed on the intent and structure of this project and gave us the green light. 

5. Will interview transcripts be publicly available?
   Yes. They will be posted on a digital archive that should launch sometime in fall.

6. How can I participate and can my interview be anonymous?
   Those seeking to be completely anonymous have the option to sign up for their interview in person. A staff member will be on the 2nd floor of the Library every Wednesday from 1–3 p.m. to schedule anonymous interviews. The table where the staff member is sitting will have a sign that says “What Happened Here.”

7. Will this class be taught again in the future?
   History 482 is taught regularly but with different topics. This topic could be taught again depending on community interest and the number of interviews needed.

8. What happens in the class and what is the timeline for interviews?
   The class studied the methodologies of oral history, looked at strong examples of oral history and digital archives, and worked together to generate questions. The class also did some practice runs with the professor to prepare for the interviews.