Anthony Ventura

How did you become interested in the CAH project you are working on this year?

My interest in working as part of the OhloneAR virtual tour began when taking English 16 as a sophomore. I particularly enjoyed learning about different forms of writing and rhetoric with Dr. Lueck and the class definitely captured my interest. I honed my skills across different formats and learned to understand writing for specific audiences. From there, I was introduced to the OhloneAR project, which she oversees, and was recommended to begin working in storytelling. Once I took the tour myself and saw the intersection of English and computer science students to create something so engaging and impressive to honor Native American history on campus I knew I wanted to get involved as soon as possible.

Tell us about a transformative or eye-opening experience you have had in a humanities or arts course at SCU. What did you learn or take away from it? How did it change you?

One transformative experience for me at SCU was in English 115 (Argumentation). Our class was given an argument from a research paper and tasked to respond to the author and persuade him to reconsider his position. This assignment radically changed my perspective as I was forced to look inward. I realized to truly persuade an audience I had to understand their goals and what they wanted to accomplish rather than explain why they’re wrong. I directed my response on how an alternative approach could achieve the author’s goal more effectively and I carry these skills into any persuasive writing I work on now. I’m incredibly thankful for English 115 and the opportunity to craft more impactful arguments as I apply to law school.

What does (re) imagining futures mean to you?

To me the concept “reimagining futures” means developing my CAH project to ensure the legacy of the Ohlone flourishes here on campus. Before the OhloneAR tour, I feel like this aspect of SCU history was overlooked, and I am very proud to be a part of an organization that wants to provide a physical representation of their history at Santa Clara. I believe the stop we’re currently developing focused on Ohlone scholarship will serve as an inspiration for aspiring young Native students and that highlighting stories of Native students on campus will be incredibly rewarding.