Oral History Program Bret Alexander Interviewed by Kandice Harris 5 March 2025 Oral History Program Weber State University Stewart Library Ogden, Utah Bret Alexander Interviewed by Kandice Harris 5 March 2025 Copyright © 2026 by Weber State University, Stewart Library Mission Statement The Oral History Program of the Stewart Library was created to preserve the institutional history of Weber State University and the Davis, Ogden and Weber County communities. By conducting carefully researched, recorded, and transcribed interviews, the Oral History Program creates archival oral histories intended for the widest possible use. Interviews are conducted with the goal of eliciting from each participant a full and accurate account of events. The interviews are transcribed, edited for accuracy and clarity, and reviewed by the interviewees (as available), who are encouraged to augment or correct their spoken words. The reviewed and corrected transcripts are indexed, printed, and bound with photographs and illustrative materials as available. The working files, original recording, and archival copies are housed in the University Archives. Project Description Connecting Weber: History of the Cultural Centers oral history project documents the memories and history of the various cultural centers that were open at Weber State University. These centers included the Multicultural Center (later called the Center for Belonging & Cultural Engagement), Women's Center, Native American Cultural Center, Asian American and Pacific Islander Cultural Center, Pan-Asian Cultural Center, Black Cultural Center, and the LGBTQ Resource Center. The centers were closed in July 2024 due to state legislation. ____________________________________ Oral history is a method of collecting historical information through recorded interviews between a narrator with firsthand knowledge of historically significant events and a well-informed interviewer, with the goal of preserving substantive additions to the historical record. Because it is primary material, oral history is not intended to present the final, verified, or complete narrative of events. It is a spoken account. It reflects personal opinion offered by the interviewee in response to questioning, and as such it is partisan, deeply involved, and irreplaceable. ____________________________________ Rights Management This work is the property of the Weber State University, Stewart Library Oral History Program. It may be used freely by individuals for research, teaching and personal use as long as this statement of availability is included in the text. It is recommended that this oral history be cited as follows: Alexander, Bret, an oral history by Kandice Harris, 5 March 2025, WSU Stewart Library Oral History Program, Special Collections and University Archives, Stewart Library, Weber State University, Ogden, UT. iii Abstract: The following is an oral history interview with Bret Alexander conducted over Zoom by Kandice Harris on March 5, 2025. Bret discusses his experiences in receiving higher education, the culture centers at Weber State, and the importance of community. Raegan Baird is also on the call. Note: Active listening, transitions in dialogue (such as “um,” “so” “you know,” etc.), and false starts in conversations are not included in transcription for ease of reading. All additions to transcript noted with brackets. Content warning: Sexual assault KH: Okay, today is March 5, 2025. We are with Bret Alexander, and we are going to be talking about the cultural centers. My name is Kandice Harris, I'll be conducting the interview, and Raegan Baird will be our videographer. To start out, when and where were you born? BA: I was born in 1997, February 25, and in Ogden, Utah. KH: Awesome. Would you talk a little bit about growing up in Ogden? BA: Yeah, definitely. I had a unique situation—which probably isn't too unique for most people in Ogden—but growing up, I did have a single mom for quite a bit before she kind of got entrenched in our family legacy of drugs and alcohol. That was kind of a rough upbringing in childhood, but beyond that, I would say I threw myself into my studies and education, and that's kind of what brought me to Weber in the first place. I went to T.O. Smith Elementary, Mount Ogden Junior High, then Ogden High, which kind of just led into a perfect little sequence right there on Harrison straight to Weber. KH: Awesome. What degrees do you have? 1 BA: Yes, so I have an associate's degree from Weber in just general education, I have a bachelor's degree in political science and business leadership through Weber, and I have my master's through Weber in higher education and leadership. Yesterday I just interviewed for my doctorate of education here at the University of Utah. KH: Oh, congratulations. BA: Thank you. KH: What is your relationship with Weber State? BA: Yeah, that's a great question. Ooh, and it's layered [laughs]. My relationship to Weber, first and foremost, is community. It's where I found a home away from the situation I grew up in and found people that really were able to be mentors, peers, and friends that lifted me up through my educational journey. With all of that, at the end of the day, it was a place where I found my belonging and eventually became the first openly gay student body president in 2019. Kind of left my legacy and mark in student leadership and involvement of holding a couple of different positions through the leadership vice president in WSUSA, holding some committee memberships on the democratic engagement team, being an emerging leader in that program as well; kind of working my way up until I was student body president and transitioned straight into my first full-time employment opportunity as the new student orientation program manager. Just lived my life for six, maybe seven years at Weber. KH: That's awesome. What was it like being the first openly gay student body president? 2 BA: I think it had some unique challenges being the first at Weber and in Ogden, Utah, more specifically. I would say my experience, especially as a cisgendered white male, had a lot of benefits, right? I was able to walk into a room whether the board of trustees were in a president council meeting and have my space not get immediately sucked away from me. I'm able to make my presence a little bit more known by staking my claim, but also keeping in mind underrepresented and marginalized communities at the forefront of everything I did during my administration. That was really my true passion. It came with some challenges, obviously, and I think with recent legislation this past year a lot of the things I tried to move the needle on have been pushed back slightly. But at the end of the day, you know, we can do our best and try every day, and that's what I try to do. So, some challenges, but for the most part, all in all, it was amazing—an amazing opportunity to build some connections, relationship, and uplift some marginalized communities. KH: Great. I mean, you've kind of talked about this a little bit, but could you go into a little more detail about how you got started in your field? Has this always been your goal? Was it something that Weber kind of instilled in you? BA: Yeah, and that's a great question. I would definitely say Weber instilled my drive and passion for education. I was a student, like I said, my upbringing, I moved out when I was 16 and was unhoused for majority of my second portion of high school. So, my junior and part of senior year, before a family member let me move in. Either couch surfing, living in my car. 3 Two weeks before the semester, post-high school graduation, I had a friend that said, “Hey, we're all going to Weber, you should apply.” I decided to, got in, and kind of changed my life. Through scholarship opportunities, involvement, obviously, I was able to kind of put all that resilience and grit that I had inherited through my childhood and really drive forward with my educational journey. For the education piece and how I received my Masters of Education and am currently seeking my doctorate degree in education, definitely was Weber making me feel seen, heard, and like I belonged. I want to make sure I pass that on and pay it forward to folks that may be in a similar situation down the road. So, my passion for education did come from Weber. KH: Okay, great. I mean, you’ve kind of answered this question too. How do you feel you are serving your community in your position? BA: Would this be my current role I'm holding here at the law school? KH: Yeah. BA: Okay. I currently work as the belonging and access program manager here at the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah. This was an easy transition for me. Like it says in my title, belonging and access. I work directly with communities and lift up marginalized and underrepresented communities specifically, while keeping in mind that we have to adhere to the legislature and state laws as a state-funded school, similar to Weber, right? Understanding that some avenues may be cut off, but the mission and maybe passion that I 4 individually have can find other avenues to fulfill that while making sure that I'm not crossing any lines. So, I feel like I serve my community currently, and I can maybe pull an example. Tomorrow I have Judge Diana Gibson over the third district court coming here for Women's Week on campus to talk about her experience as a judge appointed by Governor Herbert, and really her experience as a minoritized woman, a woman of color, graduating from law school in 1996. Being a woman in the field, especially in Utah, and understanding all of the initiatives she's working on from homeless court to recovery court, how these different pieces make a better Utah, make better communities in general. What I do as a coordinator and program manager is really making sure I'm bringing in voices that folks have an opportunity to hear about and diversify their mindset around what the opportunities are in the community. So, pulling some of those strings, and also understanding that my programming does have its limits but stretching that as much as possible, letting students know that it can be endless, and there's tons of things out there from—for specifically law school— public interest to pro bono work. What do these things look like in the state of Utah? So, serving my community at large in those different ways, and honoring some of the different heritage months as well, I would say. This past month, during February, I was able to co-sponsor with main campus and the community to hold a Black History Month community social here at the law school, and waive that rental fee and make sure that community members are able to come in, see 5 the building, envision themself in law school as perhaps they were part of the Black community, or anyone else that wanted to come. Those are probably the two most recent examples I have at the top of my head for making sure the community feels seen, heard, and a part of the university as much as we are a part of the community. KH: If you're willing to share, how has your position changed since the passing of the bill? BA: Yeah, so House Bill 261 passed this past legislative session, went into effect July 1, 2024. Before all of that happened, I would probably say six months leading up to that, I was known as the equity, diversity and inclusion program manager. That did shift to belonging and access and some of my day-to-day tasks along with my position description shifted as well. So, really understanding what that new scope means fitting within the laws passed to ensure that we're not going to cross any lines legally. As a law school, I think that's always top of mind for us is, "How do we adhere? How do we follow through?" and then, "How can we expand that knowledge?" Seeing if there's different avenues, as I mentioned, different pathways to maybe fulfill similar work, but understanding that it is a fine line. That's what the law does is it makes you interpret it, expand your knowledge of it, and then see what avenues are possible to ensure that you're following in line with it. But you can also expand, let's say, the definition of equity, right? What does that look like specifically when it comes to ensuring best practices, or social mobility, or equal opportunity as it relates to all backgrounds? As a cisgender, white, low socioeconomic status person that made my come up 6 through education, that's something I always have a lens on, is understanding— it's kind of looked at as diversity, which is not allowed anymore. But looking at those that are maybe lower socioeconomic status that fall into a cisgender, white male perspective, what does that look like? And understanding that that kind of falls into the “no” line and segment, but can be uplifted in a different way while recognizing everyone that falls into that pocket. So, I would say it's shifted a bit in that way, but as a personal philosophy of mine and why I got into this work in the first place, it's important for me to find those avenues and pockets where I can thrive in bringing community to the forefront while adhering to the policies and procedures of the land. KH: Okay, great. Thank you. While you were a student here at Weber, how have you interacted with the cultural centers on campus? BA: Yeah, that's a great question. Would this be—I haven't been there in a little bit— the Multicultural Resource Center, the LGBT Resource Center, those specific centers? Or anything else in mind? KH: Well, let me think. When you were here, the Women's Center would have been here, and they hadn't quite created the cultural centers yet. So yeah, the three main centers. BA: Okay, yeah. My interaction with those centers, definitely it was frequent, you know? I was someone that sought out opportunities to feel like I belonged. My initial run-in with the Women's Resource Center came with some crossinstitutional collaboration. Then, unfortunately, I had a sexual assault, and I had to utilize their survivor advocates and get to understand a little bit more about that 7 process and confidentiality pieces. Understanding that was a great resource and benefit for me to learn a little bit more how my identity shifted. I also utilized the LGBT Resource Center for the Matthew Shepard Scholarship, which helped a ton in my formative years of ensuring I was able to graduate with my degree in four years. That was something that I'd never envisioned for myself, but it was really awesome to have that opportunity, and enjoy the fun side of the center with the Pride Parade here in Salt Lake, be a part of that, recruiting students, understanding that all of those were options to making sure that people felt like they were seen, could be vulnerable and authentic while feeling they belonged all in the same time. The Multicultural Resource Center, I utilized them. Definitely worked with a ton of their student senators that found belonging there. I'm thinking of the Black Diaspora, our Asian American student senators, a lot of those folks during my administration I connected with and uplifted any way I could. If that came with, you know, promoting an event, or seeing how we could throw the force of WSUSA behind some of their programming or town halls, that was something I definitely kept at the forefront of my mind. KH: Would you be willing to share some of your favorite memories from the different centers? BA: Yeah. I would probably say, I don't know if she still works at Weber, but her name was Paige, and she worked at the Women's Resource Center. KH: She does. 8 BA: Okay, sweet. That's good to hear. She was someone that really was a bright light for me, especially everything I was going through during that time. Then when I moved into the student body president role, someone that I was able to lean on for advice and understanding, “Okay, how can we promote Take Back the Night?” That's something that really brings a lot of warmth to my heart and understanding that things in the world are not always fair and just, but there is a way to reclaim who you are as a survivor. Understanding that things in life will move forward and so can you. That was something I didn't really have the knowledge to comprehend, and that was a person that really brought that out of me. For the LGBT Resource Center, oh, I don't want to mess up anyone's name, but I believe his name was Jason. He no longer works there, I'm pretty sure, but I remember some things kind of happened. That was my time at Weber through grad school. He was someone that helped me secure the Matthew Shepard Scholarship and connect with that family to understand a bit more about what it means of my identity, where it comes from. In 1997, Matthew Shepard's story was profound and gruesome, and understanding that that could still happen. That was just right over the border in Wyoming, and now my husband is from Wyoming. So, a lot of these different connections coming along. It was a lot of mentorship, I would say, especially in WSUSA. I, during the time, maybe was lost in the sauce a bit with my educational journey, but I owe a ton of thanks to Tara Peris, who was someone that was a guiding light for me, super understanding with everything I was going through not only at home, but in 9 my own head, and really helped push me forward through some dark times. So, lots of those folks. Olga, Andrea Hernandez, a lot of those folks. I actually went to… I believe it was Andrea's farewell a couple months back at Olga's house. A lot of these folks that were in their professional identities and careers while I was going through graduate school really helped mentor me, bring me up and get a better view of the world ahead of me. Understanding that the world is complex, but through strength, resilience, and grit, you can accomplish anything. KH: Okay, great. I want to say the Resource Center opened in 2016; were you a student at Weber before the center opened? BA: Which center? KH: Sorry, the LGBT Resource Center. BA: Oh, yeah. Yeah, I was. 2015 is when I enrolled in Weber. KH: Did you notice a difference in support before the center open and after the center opened? BA: I definitely did, I would say. During 2015 leading into the 2016 academic year, I was part of the Emerging Leader Program, which taught about all the resource centers available on campus, giving resource to these emerging leaders to get a better grasp on what the university could offer. I remember having a couple of friends that came to the university that first year, and they were within the queer identity and spectrum and didn't have that resource, and a lot of them dropped out, and for one reason or another, they didn't return. So, for me going through FYE, making sure I was absorbing as much as possible, waiting for that to kind of come up; I didn't have a ton of interaction as 10 they were gaining their footing. I would probably say 2018, 2019 is when I kind of fell in love with them and the individuals there, and that propelled me forward to 2020. So, right around then is where I felt a little bit more belonging. I think when a new center starts, it's always a little rocky to get their name out there, their purpose and their mission. I'm sure they nailed it, but for me it was a little bit of a lag, and I'm sure other students that didn't have a ton of places— like I said, I had WSUSA and SIL to kind of go and find a home and community in. But for folks that didn't have that, I'm sure it was probably a little bit of a different story for them. KH: Great, thank you. You kind of mentioned this, but is there anything else you want to add about how the cultural centers impacted or influenced your time at Weber? BA: Let me think about that. I think impact, for me, as I mentioned, being in a lower SES, a cisgender white male, even if I was in the queer community, I had a lot of privilege with those identities. So, for me, it was as easy as sitting down in the back of a town hall and listening, attending a BSU meeting when I was president and listening. Understanding that for me and who I am, it's not always best or needed for me to speak up and out, but most of the time it’s better to just listen. That was something I think not only me, but for most privileged identities, I would say it's not always understood. For me, it was a huge learning opportunity. I think I'm of a growth mindset and a lifelong learner to interpret and adapt as much as possible. So, understanding that a lot of the communities here that are underrepresented in Utah, and specifically Ogden—I'm thinking of our Latinx student senator and a 11 couple of other folks. I believe it's Hispanic student senator, but I think they switched that, I'm not too sure—connecting with them and understanding, right? The jargon associated with higher education and with the communities can somewhat be at a disconnect, but understanding that even with that, you default to what the community prefers and what an individual prefers. It's so nuanced. A lot of that I feel generally has an umbrella coded around what a lot of people assume communities will accept, but for me it just came again to listening, if that's writ large community based or individually based. It was really awesome to open my eyes to that, which was the most rewarding at the end of the day to kind of pass that knowledge on to folks. KH: Okay, great. Thank you. If you're willing to share, what are your feelings about the closing of the cultural centers? BA: You know, I think for someone that had such a huge benefit from their existence, not only myself, but I know everyone that kind of went through their doors had a positive impact on their personal lives, and perhaps could be, like me, a home away from home. Understanding that a lot of these spaces were created to build community, to build a sense of belonging, which I would say a lot of institutions claim is at the forefront of their purpose and mission, and sometimes it doesn't always connect, or there's not transparency. For me, it was a bit disappointing to understand that not only Weber but most, if not all schools by this point, have closed those centers. I'm hoping [they can], like I mentioned I did, adapt. Build something that can maybe be an umbrella with some branching off points to fit within the legislation, and 12 understand that the students that walk through those doors want those opportunities. I don't think that they were shut down because people that walk through the doors didn't want them to exist. Listening to the communities, as I mentioned, is going to be more important in that moment than following a somewhat crowd mentality to appease whoever it may be that [thinks] they are negative. I've never had a negative experience in those situations, especially with my identities of privilege, to understand that a bit more. You know, I would leave it up to whatever it may hold to pivot and bring some light to communities that are underrepresented and underserved. This is another piece that adds to both of those. So, for me, it was a bit disappointing. KH: Okay, thank you. How do you think students are reacting to the closing of the cultural centers? You can speak for the U as well as for what you think it would be here at Weber. BA: You know, I won't speak for the U, I don't know if they would find that kind, but as a previous representative of the student body at Weber, I will say it depends. I think it is a mixed bag, so to speak, of students. Everyone I've talked to—not only professional staff, leading into some folks that are still currently students—they found it a bit disappointing. I think, from my professional role, understanding a bit of the lens of legislation mixed with what these public institutions have to adhere to, there wasn't a ton of wiggle room or fight that could have been put up that wouldn’t have been met with an opposing reaction immediately. But I think it was reactive, 13 and there could have been a better proactive approach to implementing something to perhaps, again, pivot. I think all in all, from what I'm hearing—and I could be siloed, I do want to acknowledge that—it has been overwhelmingly disappointed and negative when it came to shutting down the centers. But I do have a few folks in my sphere that found that all students should benefit, which I don't think any center was pushing or is telling anyone they couldn't come in, but having a larger benefit for students across the board, which could be a potential pivot to look at. So, those are some things that I've been hearing. KH: [00:22:31] Okay. How do you envision students will be helped or hindered under the restructured departments? BA: My hope would be they would be helped. Not only for those specific affinity groups that found themselves at a loss for space and community and connection, but making sure that those folks have a place where they can come, even if it's in community with folks that fall or outlie with their current identity, and just building community and bridges that way. I think that's going to be our biggest come up going forward is understanding that we have more similarities than we do differences. Leaning on those is going to be important. With the reconstruction and reorg of some of these centers, I would hope that they're messaging and putting information out to students, "This is still a place for you, as it is a place for everyone. Please come find your place here. We want to make sure that you feel seen, heard. You are a person here in our eyes, 14 and we want to uplift you as much as possible." That's what I would say on that, which I know is kind of sidestepping the question, but I'm okay with that. KH: Why is community important? BA: Yeah, I think that's a great question. Community is important not only statistically for success, right? When we have the phrase that's colloquially known of, "It takes a village to raise a baby," that is still true, right? Not only the community when we call them our neighbors, the community where we call them our peers, our colleagues, our family, our people that we have a study group with, or those individuals that we can just go to a shared space and have a connection. It could even be the cafeteria. I'm thinking of Weber and their dining services, sitting at a table and meeting someone new. Those pieces not only widen your lens of identity and what it means to be an individual walking the same halls, but widens who you think is experiencing and what they're experiencing on campus. So, community to me is uplifting, it's paying it forward as much as possible, and it is lending a helping hand where possible. Creating mentorship opportunities for folks, especially first-generation students like myself, that don't know the jargon, they don't know what scholarships are available, they don't know what resources are available on campus, what classes to take from which professors that might actually be advantageous for them to propel them forward in their career. I would say knowledge is power, and in these moments, community passes that knowledge on, and community is invaluable for that. I think that when we think of community, it's not as easy or as straightforward as borrowing sugar. 15 It is borrowing sugar and understanding, where did you buy the sugar? Where was it farmed from? Getting a little bit deeper into some of those instances that I think lead to deeper bonds and create success opportunities across the board. KH: Awesome, thank you. What do you think we as individuals can do to foster relationships and meet the needs of the underserved communities of Weber? BA: Yeah, that's a great question. I think we as individuals could put our money where our mouth is, put our actions to where our thoughts are, and put our feet to the ground, where we're typically sitting on our hands. I think a lot of inaction leads to complacency, which leads to stagnation, and overall, I think—I want to choose my words carefully here—it's complicit. It's ensuring that folks that don't have an opportunity already to create upward mobility for themselves never get the opportunity to seek that out or find avenues to build it. So, individually, I think it's—which this is probably cheating but—building community. I think one person in any given situation doesn't have all the answers. Ten people in any given situation probably have most of the answers. So, understanding that with these folks, community is power, opinion is power, and I mentioned a couple of my previous positions, but democratic engagement is power. Understanding that working together, building the community, and building general consensus through concession and collaboration is what's going to drive positive change forward for our underrepresented communities. That includes leaving space at the table for these folks, and not only leaving space, but creating space and going to their spaces. 16 This is something that's often forgot where we say, “We're hosting a focus group. Meet us in the president's building at this day and time.” One, I've never been in the president's building, let's say. Two, where is that? What is that? So, instead of that, flipping it on its head and saying, “You have a town hall in the fireplace lounge in the Union building; we'll head to you during that day if you'll give us 10, 15 minutes of your meeting time.” I think oftentimes that accountability and transparency from administration, staff, faculty, whatever it may be, community, right? All of it is often forgot as—or maybe intentional as a power move—but often forgot as a way to ensure comfortability and a little bit of selfishness, where I think a lot of us can use more selflessness and reach a helping hand. Especially to those that are underrepresented and underserved, if you are someone in a position of privilege with power, it's going to be important for you to take the onus on, understand that some of these situations will require you to go the extra mile. Not only will that be so rewarding in my opinion for the person doing it, but for the person receiving it, it's going to be a lifelong game changer. KH: Great, thank you. Is there anything else that you'd like to share? BA: I do not think so. 17 ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEW AGREEMENT 5 March 25 day of _________________, 20__ This Interview Agreement is made and entered into this ________________ by and between the Weber State University Stewart Library Oral History Program (WSUSLOHP) Bret Alexander and_________________________________________, hereinafter called "Interviewee." 10:00am/03-05-2025 Interviewee agrees to participate in a recorded interview, commencing on or about ___________________time/date, Kandice Harris with_________________________________________. This Interview Agreement relates to any and all materials originating from the interview, namely the recording of the interview and any written materials, including but not limited to the transcript or other finding aids prepared from the recording. In consideration of the mutual covenants, conditions, and terms set forth below, the parties hereby agree as follows: 1. Interviewee irrevocably assigns to WSUSLOHP all his or her copyright, title and interest in and to the interview. 2. WSUSLOHP will have the right to use and disseminate the interview for research, educational, and other purposes, including print, present and future technologies, and digitization to provide internet access. 3. Interviewee acknowledges that he/she will receive no remuneration or compensation for either his/her participation in the interview or for the rights assigned hereunder. 4. WSUSLOHP agrees to honor any and all reasonable interviewee restrictions on the use of the interview, if any, for the time specified below, as follows: Interviewer and Interviewee have executed this Interview Agreement on the date first written above. INTERVIEWEE INTERVIEWER _______________________________________ _______________________________________ (Signature) (Signature) Bret Alexander _______________________________________ Kandice Harris ________________________________________ (Printed Name) (Printed Name)