On November 6th, 20 ROTC cadets gathered in the Osterman Common Room for Voices in Uniform, which was an evening of storytelling, memory, and hands-on oral history. The event was organized with the goal of introducing ROTC cadets, many from STEM backgrounds, to oral history as a powerful humanities method for preserving military experience.
The evening began with a guest talk by retired Navy Commander and U-M Mathematics Department Chief Administrator Doreen Fussman, who discussed the fundamentals of oral history and how personal narratives complement traditional records of service. She was joined by Jan Malaikal, retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel and U-M Chemistry Department Chief Administrator, for a mock interview that demonstrated real-world oral history techniques and their value.
Following the demonstration, cadets broke into pairs and practiced interviewing each other using provided moleskin notebooks. Many reflected afterward that this was their first exposure to oral history and that it opened their eyes to how they might preserve their own family or unit’s stories in the future. The session concluded with a thoughtful group discussion.
