UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON ARCHIVES
ORAL HISTORY PROJECT

Interview #537
GIVENS, KATIE

GIVENS, Katie (1979- )
Undergraduate Student.
At UW: 1997-

Interviewed: 1999-2001	
						Series: Chadbourne Residential College	
Interviewer: Barry Teicher
Length: 4 hours, 34 minutes

Background; First impressions of UW and Chadbourne Residential College (CRC); Bill Cronon and other staff members; Words and Writing Week; CRC Olympics; CRC government; Accomplishments and challenges as Forum Chair; Duties and responsibilities as house fellow; Residential college conference; Future of CRC; Role as house fellow; Culture of CRC; Changes in governance; Richard Keeling; Mary Layoun; Departure of Cronon; Future of CRC; Summer internship; Writing Fellows Program; Program advisor; Diversity within CRC; Mary Layoun; Departure of Jennifer Gilbride-Brown; Problem of “re-inventing” CRC; Future plans.	

First Interview Session (September 15, 1999): Tapes 1-2

Tape 1/Side 1

00:00:32	KG was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan.  She was very active in forensics and Youth Group during high school.  KG explains why she chose to attend UW.

00:04:03	KG was not familiar with Chadbourne Residential College (CRC) before choosing to attend UW.  She made her decision to live in CRC based on the CRC brochure and the web site.

00:07:13	She describes her first days at UW and CRC.  KG recalls that during CRC convocation she wanted to believe that the ideas were true and that other people would be excited about the project.

00:11:05	KG discusses her initial impressions of Bill Cronon.  She talks about other CRC staff members including Scott Seyforth, Tim Burkhalter and Mercedes Ramirez-Fernandez.

00:16:19	She describes the origins of Words and Writing Week.  KG was introduced to Hannah Nyala and together they came up with the idea for Words and Writing Week.  She also received help from Chris Opsel and Georgina Tegart.  Words and Writing Week took place in February 1998 and was quite successful.  Among the writers who attended were Dick Ringler and Hannah Nyala.  KG discusses the things she learned from her experience organizing Words and Writing Week.

00:25:58	KG discusses some negative reactions to CRC among staff members of the Daily Cardinal.

00:28:02	She explains how her experiences with Words and Writing Week changed the nature of her involvement with CRC.  She became much more connected and involved with CRC activities.  KG discusses CRC Olympics and scavenger hunt.

00:30:51	End of side.

Tape 1/Side 2

00:30:58	KG continues discussing CRC Olympics.  The Olympics were very competitive but did encourage a sense of community.  She relates some of the hijinx that occurred during the Olympics.

00:34:10	She was not involved in CRC government during her first year.  KG describes her reaction to the first CRC elections.  During the second year, KG became more involved in CRC government and was selected Forum Chair.  She gives her impressions of the first year Forum Chair.  KG did not have any pre-formed ideas about what she wanted to do as Forum chair.

00:42:05	KG describes the structure of CRC government.  She discusses some of the personnel changes in government during her two years at CRC.  KG relates some boundary breaking exercises the Community Board members participated in to build community.

00:47:03	She explains the purpose and function of the Community Forum.  KG started something called halftime entertainment for Community Forum meetings and this improved attendance.  She explains how the Forum functioned during her time as Forum Chair.  KG describes some contentious issues that came up in Forum discussions.  She evaluates her performance as Forum Chair.

00:57:10	After the second year, the CRC Forum Board was replaced with an agenda committee.  She discusses the effectiveness of the changes.  KG describes the interest group bazaar.

01:01:46	End of side.  End of tape.

Tape 2/Side 1

01:01:53	KG describes the evolution of Mission Groups.  She describes some of the activities of the Academic Mission Group.

01:05:45	She discusses CRC trips to Upham Woods.  KC describes some of the faculty and staff she has met during these trips.

01:10:04	In her third year, KG became a CRC house fellow.  Being a house fellow is different than any other position she held in CRC.  She describes her duties and responsibilities as a house fellow.

01:14:08	KG discusses a conference she attended on university residential colleges.  She enjoyed the conference but the lack of student representation was disappointing.  KG discusses some of the issues covered in the conference workshops.

01:18:44	She offers a definition for ‘residential college’.  KG describes the reasons why residential colleges are popular on college campuses.  She discusses the things she learned during her experiences at CRC.

01:25:17	KG evaluates the future of CRC without Cronon and predicts that it will probably survive.

01:28:22	End of side.  End of tape.

Second Interview Session (May 16, 2000): Tapes 3-4

Tape 3/Side 1

00:00:26	KG lists her CRC goals for the 1999-2000 academic year.  She describes the differences between being a building-wide leader and being a house fellow.

00:05:48	She describes how she taught new students about CRC and encouraged them to participate in CRC activities.  KG judges that her floor was one of the most involved in CRC activities.

00:09:19	KG discusses the other house fellows.  She talks about some of the difficulties the new house fellows experienced adjusting to CRC.  KG believes that each dorm has its own personality and creates its own sense of community.

00:16:35	She describes the culture of CRC.  KG outlines the connections between Chadbourne and Barnard Hall.

00:19:57	KG compares the past year at CRC with others.  She highlights some of the most notable changes.  KG explains how first year students become involved in CRC.  She describes staff changes and the permanent staff.

00:29:04	KG describes the governmental structure of CRC and outlines how it changed over the past year.  

00:31:07	End of side.

Tape 3/Side 2

00:31:38	She continues her discussion of CRC governmental structure changes.  KG describes the Finance Committee and gives examples of its functioning.  She outlines the structure of CRC government.

00:40:07	KG discusses Mission Groups.  She describes academics in general at CRC.

00:49:07	She describes a “Vision Breakfast” she attended with Chancellor David Ward, Bill Cronon and other UW officials regarding the future of CRC.  KG explains some of the issues raised at the meeting regarding permanent staff and house fellow selection.

00:57:00	KG speculates on why Richard Keeling left his position as CRC faculty advisor.  She describes the search to replace him and discusses the new director, Mary Layoun.

01:02:31	End of side.  End of tape.

Tape 4/Side 1

01:02:39	She continues her discussion of Mary Layoun.  KG speculates on what changes might occur as Cronon becomes less active in CRC.  She describes a farewell party for Cronon.

01:07:58	KG speculates on the future of CRC.

01:10:22	End of side.  End of tape.

Third Interview Session (September 26, 2001): Tapes 5-6

Tape 5/Side 1

00:00:28	In 2000, KG left Madison for a summer internship with Dr. Richard Keeling in the development of a student health web site in New York City.  She explains how this opportunity came about and how it relates to her interests regarding community.  

00:04:23	After her summer in New York City, KG returned to UW for her senior year at CRC.  She discusses her personal goals for the year.  She was to serve as program advisor for CRC’s first year without William Cronon as faculty director.  KG also had a position as the undergraduate assistant director for the writing fellows program.  

00:06:34	KG discusses the pressure of trying to complete her senior thesis and finishing up course work for her degree, while balancing her duties as program advisor.

00:10:18	KG talks about the writing fellows program; she was a writing fellow during her junior year and the undergraduate assistant her senior year.  There was some tension and confusion, explains KG, between CRC and the writing fellows program that she would be overextended because of her commitments to each organization.  

00:14:39	In the time up to her senior year, KG had been involved with CRC in various capacities, which she recounts.  

00:16:29	The position of program advisor, which KG held in her senior year, was created to ease some of the duties of the residence life coordinator, Jennifer Gilbride-Brown.  KG explains her job as program advisor.  She relates some stories about students needing assistance.  

00:25:56	KG talks about the various difficult situations she faced because of her status as program advisor.

00:27:05	Fall is a stressful time in the residence hall calendar, and KG explains why this is so.

00:30:37	End of side.  

Tape 5/Side 2

00:30:44	KG discusses the difficult job of choosing Jennifer Gilbride-Brown’s successor.

00:31:19	Diversity and racial issues were difficult for CRC house fellows to discuss in the 2000–2001 school year.  KG talks about this problem and its implications for the rest of the CRC residents.  

00:37:27	KG explains that the problem of diversity was a serious one and prevented the CRC staff from developing the types of close relationships which normally occur.

00:42:42	KG talks about the five Mission Groups in the 2000-2001 school year: Diversity, Coffeehouse, Facstaff, Academic and Community Service.  

00:47:59	Mary Layoun was scheduled to take over from William Cronon as faculty director, but before school started she was diagnosed with a brain tumor.  KG discusses the impact of Layoun’s leave of absence and the role of Peter Quimby as assistant dean in this situation.  After one semester, Quimby left to serve as a dean at Yale University.  

00:53:09	Jennifer Gilbride-Brown decided to leave CRC, which KG discusses.  She announced her decision in March 2001.  KG says that some of the trust between herself and the students was broken because she had been privy to Jennifer’s decision before the announcement.

00:57:50	KG talks about her experience as a senior and as a program advisor.  She says that she felt very distant from other students.  

01:01:24	End of side.  End of tape.

Tape 6/Side 1

01:01:29	KG says that her distance from the other students at CRC made it easier for her to leave upon graduation.  

01:02:29	Sarah Phelps was KG’s replacement as program advisor.  Phelps had experience as a house fellow in Witte (a non-CRC residence hall).

01:04:58	Despite all of the difficult situations and unforeseen changes, KG says that her senior year at UW was a good year.  She mentions the high turnover rate of CRC personnel.

01:08:40	KG talks about the necessity of “re-inventing” CRC with every school year.  She explains how new students, such as Andy Underwood-Bultmann, help imbue CRC with new life.

01:12:17	The structure of CRC is designed to promote involvement from residents; it is easy to become involved, says KG.  

01:13:22	KG discusses the governance of CRC and some of the aspects which have been changed due to student initiative.  

01:16:13	KG talks about the academic side of CRC and some of the activities of the Academic Mission Group, such as the scavenger hunt.  She explains some of the discussions which followed some movies.

01:27:22	Graduate students are excellent resources for the residence halls, which KG discusses.   

01:32:11	End of side.

Tape 6/Side 2

01:32:17	KG talks about the inclusion of Barnard as part of CRC and says it was a difficult process.  She describes the “devocation” of her senior year, and the inauguration of Barnard Hall.

01:37:40	CRC is on solid ground, says KG, though she does explain the danger of CRC becoming too dependent on particular individuals.  

01:40:30	Andy Underwood-Bultmann, chairperson of the Forum, organized a discussion between Mayor Sue Bauman and Chancellor John Wiley at a Forum meeting, which KG discusses.  She believes Wiley to be supportive of CRC.  

01:41:47	KG talks about how CRC has changed the most in her time there.  Resident involvement has broadened beyond a small group of students.  She discusses the initial resentment on campus concerning CRC and how this attitude has changed. 

01:48:00	KG talks about Scott Seyforth.  

01:50:11	The future of CRC is not clear for KG.  She says that she knows the tradition of CRC as a planned community which is student-centered will continue.  

01:51:22	KG explains her plans in the future: she has joined Americorps and will be working with a judge in Idaho City, Idaho.  

01:53:52	The immersion project, designed by Scott Seyforth and Jennifer Gilbride-Brown, was the key to addressing some of the race/diversity problems of CRC.  

01:55:29	End of interview.  

END