about the project
t h o u g h t s o n t h e i n t e r v i e w p r o c e s s
When our class decided to interview non-faculty, staff members of the Hollins community, I thought of asking Marsha Stevens for several reasons. One being that I knew her fairly well and felt comfortable asking her to do the project. Two, I thought Marsha would have a unique story to tell, since she completed her undergraduate degree as an adult student in the Horizon program. Thankfully, Marsha agreed to do the project.
As a class, we compiled a list of initial questions to ask our interviewees. The first interview took place on March 6, 2002 in her office on the third floor of the Cocke Memorial building and lasted less than an hour. After the interview, I transcribed the tapes and re-read them to think of follow up questions. Again, we discussed our follow up questions as a class. The second interview took place on April 14 at the Wyndham Robertson Library and lasted nearly two hours. Together, the interviews yielded thirty-three pages of text.
I then edited the interviews by removing my questions and all "speech fillers." I also re-organized sections of the interviews into what I thought was a logical, chronological and reader-friendly order. I also deleted some sections of the transcription which were repetitive or confusing. I provided Marsha with a printed and electronic copy of the final transcription for her to look over and make any corrections if needed. I also asked her to select what, if anything, would she like to put on the class website.
Although I chose Marsha to interview because I felt comfortable asking her to do the project, I was still nervous during both of the interviews. I wanted to respect Marsha's privacy; yet, I wanted to ask "probing" questions at the same time.
As a whole, this class has been a very worthwhile experience for me as an undergraduate student. It has challenged me to think deeper about what is "truth," how meaning is constructed, and ethical issues in recording someone's life history. It has given me much food for thought as I consider a career in the world of journalism. This class has also provided me with hands-on experience in the art of interviewing. Many of the things that Marsha described in her life history were applicable to my life as well. I hope that, if nothing else, I have come away from this semester with better listening skills.
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