This summer, Lamar Community College students will have the opportunity explore the rich history of Lamar through the stories of its citizens.
Students and community members will carry out a local history project on La Colonia neighborhood on the north end of Lamar. This project will ultimately result in a presentation at Lamar Community College and an exhibition at the Lamar Public Library, which will feature the history of the community itself through photos and oral history interviews.
This project is a collaboration between the Lamar Historic Preservation Advisory Board, the Lamar Public Library, and Lamar Community College.
The driving force for this project will be students enrolled in LCC’s History of Mexico and Conversational Spanish classes. These two classes will be taught by Luiz Gomez who has incorporated oral history traditions into the course’s assignments. Both courses are guaranteed transfer and meet requirements for both the Associate of Science and Associate of Arts degrees at LCC.
Gomez, who holds a BA in Spanish from Utah Valley University and an MA in Hispanic Literature with an emphasis in Southwest Studies from University of New Mexico, taught Spanish at LCC last summer and is excited to return and take on this new project.
“There’s a saying in Spanish, ‘lo que se quiere nunca muere,’ that translates ‘that which is cherished never dies,’” Gomez said. “This project is such a great opportunity to preserve a unique piece of Lamar history and to pay tribute to this valued community by recording a part of Southern Colorado history for us and future generations.”
Students interested in taking either course are encouraged to register for classes as soon as possible by visiting www.lamarcc.edu or contacting Student Services at 719.336.1590.
The project is also seeking volunteers to help with the project in a variety of ways. Anyone interested in participating in any capacity can stop by the LCC Student Services in the Betz Technology Center or call 719.336.1590.
For any questions or for additional information, contact Dr. Annessa Stagner, Dean of Academic Services at LCC, by calling 719-336-1519.