Comedic Investigative Journalism Thurs-Monday February 28-March 4

Thursday-Monday February 28- March 4 Investigative comedy / contemporary late night clips

ASSIGNMENT: 1) please read the following two articles: "Investigative Comedy" and "Jena Friedman: the outrageous talk show host women have been waiting for". The objective is to familiarize yourself with these satirical comedians and the social and political role they play in society.

2) When you have finished reading, watch the five clips I have shared with you, noting, who you think is the most effective in conveying the zeitgeist of our current political and social world. Take a few notes and quotes that stand out to you.

3) In approximately 300 words, select one or two of the investigative comedians and explain who they are speaking for and to what extent they are effective?

I am having problems with the posting the articles; so I am giving them to you as a handout. It is important that you take the time to read them. 

Below you will find five clips that you will need to complete the assignment.

Alex Balwin as President Trump (6:45)

President Trumps response tweet:

Nothing funny about tired Saturday Night Live on Fake News NBC!

Question is, how do the Networks get away with these total Republican

hit jobs without retribution? Likewise for many other shows?

Very unfair and should be looked into. This is the real Collusion!

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Trevor Noah Jussie Smollett (5:20)

Samantha Bee Black Lives Matter (2:16)

Stephen Colbert The national emergency we didn't need (10:00

Jenna Friedman Cannibal Cop 8 min

Tuesday / Wednesday Feb 26/ 27 Lunch Break Tanya Rivera

Tuesday/ Wednesday February 26 Lunch Break with Tanya Rivero

Black Lives Matter ...history

The phrase "Black Lives Matter" was born in a Facebookpost by Alicia Garza in response to the July 2013 acquittal of George Zimmerman, who fatally shot Martin. The movement emerged as a reaction to the perceived violence and systemic racism by policetowardAfrican-American communities. 

Ear buds needed!

Please watch Lunch Break with Tanya Rivero and her conversation on the importance of political satire in society..

Wall Street Journal lunch break (6:50)

Charlie Hebdo cartoons

Assignment: in approximately 200 words, summarize the current state of satire, weaving in responses from Alan Miller, president of the News Literacy Project. Include who is an appropriate target and why for satire (remember the objective behind satire), how does one combat inappropriate satire and finally what is the relationship between satire and the First Amendment.

A Reminder: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Black Lives Matter

Black Sheep 26 min

Wednesday/ Thursday February 16 contemporary satire/ shouts and murmurs

Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale

American political activists, cofounders of the Black Panther party. 

An illiterate high-school graduate, Newton taught himself how to read before attending Merritt College in Oakland and the San Francisco School of Law. While at Merritt he met Seale. In Oakland in 1966 they formed the Black Panther group in response to incidents of police brutality and racism and as an illustration of the need for black self-reliance. At the height of its popularity during the late 1960s, the party had 2,000 members in chapters in several cities.

"freedom by any means necessary"

Seale grew up in Dallas and in California. Following service in the U.S. Air Force, he entered Merritt College, in Oakland, Calif. There his radicalism took root in 1962, when he first heard Malcolm X speak. Seale helped found the Black Panthers in 1966. Noted for their violent views, they also ran medical clinics and served free breakfasts to school children, among other programs.

********************************African black leopard photographed for the first time in over 100 years.

Shouts & Murmurs is weekly humor and satire about politics and daily life, from The New Yorker's writers and humorists.

Assignment:  What lies ahead.  There are two reading sections below: excerpts from an article on Jimmy Carter, who was the 39th president. The article on Jimmy Carter is not satire. The second reading, for which you as well have a hard copy, IS satire. This comes from the Shouts and Murmurs section of the New Yorker magazine. 

What exactly am I asking you to do? Because I have come to realize that many of you do not know about Jimmy Carter, I am asking you first to read the Washington Post article. This will give you an authentic perspective on the man. He is clearly a decent human being. Note that he has a daughter named Amy.

Next: read the Shouts and Murmur article (on line or handout), which is ostensibly about Carter. As you carefully read, ask yourself to whom is the article really talking about.   Then write a 300 word response that explains the satirical allusions. You might need to do some research. This is due by Friday before the break. 

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter walk home with Secret Service agents along West Church Street after having dinner at a friend’s house in Plains, Ga. The former first couple, who were born in Plains, returned to the town after leaving the White House.

Story by Kevin Sullivan and Mary Jordan

 Photos by Matt McClainPLAINS, Ga.

Jimmy Carter finishes his Saturday night dinner, salmon and broccoli casserole on a paper plate, flashes his famous toothy grin and calls playfully to his wife of 72 years, Rosalynn: “C’mon, kid.”

She laughs and takes his hand, and they walk carefully through a neighbor’s kitchen filled with 1976 campaign buttons, photos of world leaders and a couple of unopened cans of Billy Beer, then out the back door, where three Secret Service agents wait.

They do this just about every weekend in this tiny town where they were born — he almost 94 years ago, she almost 91. Dinner at their friend Jill Stuckey’s house, with plastic Solo cups of ice water and one glass each of bargain-brand chardonnay, then the half-mile walk home to the ranch house they built in 1961.

On this south Georgia summer evening, still close to 90 degrees, they dab their faces with a little plastic bottle of No Natz to repel the swirling clouds of tiny bugs. Then they catch each other’s hands again and start walking, the former president in jeans and clunky black shoes, the former first lady using a walking stick for the first time.

The 39th president of the United States lives modestly, a sharp contrast to his successors, who have left the White House to embrace power of another kind: wealth.

Even those who didn’t start out rich, including Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, have made tens of millions of dollars on the private-sector opportunities that flow so easily to ex-presidents.

When Carter left the White House after one tumultuous term, trounced by Ronald Reagan in the 1980 election, he returned to Plains, a speck of peanut and cotton farmland that to this day has a nearly 40 percent poverty rate.

The Democratic former president decided not to join corporate boards or give speeches for big money because, he says, he didn’t want to “capitalize financially on being in the White House.”

Presidential historian Michael Beschloss said that Gerald Ford, Carter’s predecessor and close friend, was the first to fully take advantage of those high-paid post-presidential opportunities, but that “Carter did the opposite.”

Since Ford, other former presidents, and sometimes their spouses, routinely earn hundreds of thousands of dollars per speech.

“I don’t see anything wrong with it; I don’t blame other people for doing it,” Carter says over dinner. “It just never had been my ambition to be rich.”
 

Carter’s handprints mark a sidewalk on the grounds of the Jimmy Carter Boyhood Farm in Plains. 

The former president arrives at Stuckey’s house for dinner wearing a casual shirt, jeans and a belt buckle with “JC” on it.

Carter was 56 when he returned to Plains from Washington. He says his peanut business, held in a blind trust during his presidency, was $1 million in debt, and he was forced to sell.

“We thought we were going to lose everything,” says Rosalynn, sitting beside him.

Carter decided that his income would come from writing, and he has written 33 books, about his life and career, his faith, Middle East peace, women’s rights, aging, fishing, woodworking, even a children’s book written with his daughter, Amy Carter, called “The Little Baby Snoogle-Fleejer.”

With book income and the $210,700 annual pension all former presidents receive, the Carters live comfortably. But his books have never fetched the massive sums commanded by more recent presidents.

Carter has been an ex-president for 37 years, longer than anyone else in history. His simple lifestyle is increasingly rare in this era of President Trump, a billionaire with gold-plated sinks in his private jet, Manhattan penthouse and Mar-a-Lago estate.

Carter is the only president in the modern era to return full-time to the house he lived in before he entered politics — a two-bedroom rancher assessed at $167,000, less than the value of the armored Secret Service vehicles parked outside.

Ex-presidents often fly on private jets, sometimes lent by wealthy friends, but the Carters fly commercial. Stuckey says that on a recent flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles, Carter walked up and down the aisle greeting other passengers and taking selfies.

Carter is pictured at his house after teaching his 800th Sunday school lesson at Maranatha Baptist Church since leaving the White House. Every other Sunday morning, he teaches at Maranatha, on the edge of town, and people line up the night before to get a seat. The painting at right was done by Carter.

“He doesn’t like big shots, and he doesn’t think he’s a big shot,” said Gerald Rafshoon, who was Carter’s White House communications director.

Carter costs U.S. taxpayers less than any other ex-president, according to the General Services Administration, with a total bill for him in the current fiscal year of $456,000, covering pensions, an office, staff and other expenses. That’s less than half the $952,000 budgeted for George H.W. Bush; the three other living ex-presidents — Clinton, George W. Bush and Obama — cost taxpayers more than $1 million each per year.

Carter doesn’t even have federal retirement health benefits because he worked for the government for four years — less than the five years needed to qualify, according to the GSA. He says he receives health benefits through Emory University, where he has taught for 36 years.

The federal government pays for an office for each ex-president. Carter’s, in the Carter Center in Atlanta, is the least expensive, at $115,000 this year. The Carters could have built a more elaborate office with living quarters, but for years they slept on a pullout couch for a week each month. Recently, they had a Murphy bed installed.

Carter’s office costs a fraction of Obama’s, which is $536,000 a year. Clinton’s costs $518,000, George W. Bush’s is $497,000 and George H.W. Bush’s is $286,000, according to the GSA.

“I am a great admirer of Harry Truman. He’s my favorite president, and I really try to emulate him,” says Carter, who writes his books in a converted garage in his house. “He set an example I thought was admirable.”

But although Truman retired to his hometown of Independence, Mo., Beschloss said that even he took up residence in an elegant house previously owned by his prosperous in-laws.

As Carter spreads a thick layer of butter on a slice of white bread, he is asked whether he thinks, especially with a man who boasts of being a billionaire in the White House, any future ex-president will ever live the way Carter does.

“I hope so,” he says. “But I don’t know.”

A customer leaves the Plains Mtd convenience store in Plains. About 700 people live in the town, 150 miles south of Atlanta, in a place that is a living museum to Carter.

The federal government pays for an office for each ex-president. Carter’s, in the Carter Center in Atlanta, is the least expensive, at $115,000 this year. The Carters could have built a more elaborate office with living quarters, but for years they slept on a pullout couch for a week each month. Recently, they had a Murphy bed installed.

Carter’s office costs a fraction of Obama’s, which is $536,000 a year. Clinton’s costs $518,000, George W. Bush’s is $497,000 and George H.W. Bush’s is $286,000, according to the GSA.

“I am a great admirer of Harry Truman. He’s my favorite president, and I really try to emulate him,” says Carter, who writes his books in a converted garage in his house. “He set an example I thought was admirable.”

But although Truman retired to his hometown of Independence, Mo., Beschloss said that even he took up residence in an elegant house previously owned by his prosperous in-laws.

As Carter spreads a thick layer of butter on a slice of white bread, he is asked whether he thinks, especially with a man who boasts of being a billionaire in the White House, any future ex-president will ever live the way Carter does.

“I hope so,” he says. “But I don’t know.”

Carter decided that his income would come from writing, and he has written 33 books, about his life and career, his faith, Middle East peace, women’s rights, aging, fishing, woodworking, even a children’s book written with his daughter, Amy Carter, called “The Little Baby Snoogle-Fleejer.”

Plains is a tiny circle of Georgia farmland, a mile in diameter, with its center at the train depot that served as Carter’s 1976 campaign headquarters. About 700 people live here, 150 miles due south of Atlanta, in a place that is a living museum to Carter.

The general store, once owned by Carter’s Uncle Buddy, sells Carter memorabilia and scoops of peanut butter ice cream. Carter’s boyhood farm is preserved as it was in the 1930s, with no electricity or running water.

The Jimmy Carter National Historic Site is essentially the entire town, drawing nearly 70,000 visitors a year and $4 million into the county’s economy.

Carter has used his post-presidency to support human rights, global health programs and fair elections worldwide through his Carter Center, based in Atlanta. He has helped renovate 4,300 homes in 14 countries for Habitat for Humanity, and with his own hammer and tool belt, he will be working on homes for low-income people in Indiana later this month.

But it is Plains that defines him.

After dinner, the Carters step out of Stuckey’s driveway, with two Secret Service agents walking close behind.

Carter’s gait is a little unsteady these days, three years after a diagnosis of melanoma on his liver and brain. At a 2015 news conference to announce his illness, he seemed to be bidding a stoic farewell, saying he was “perfectly at ease with whatever comes.”

But now, after radiation and chemotherapy, Carter says he is cancer-free.

In October, he will become the second president ever to reach 94; George H.W. Bush turned 94 in June. These days, Carter is sharp, funny and reflective.

The Carters walk every day — often down Church Street, the main drag through Plains, where they have been walking since the 1920s.

As they cross Walters Street, Carter sees a couple of teenagers on the sidewalk across the street.

“Hello,” says the former president, with the same big smile that adorns peanut Christmas ornaments in the general store.

“Hey,” says a girl in a jean skirt, greeting him with a cheerful wave.

The two 15-year-olds say people in Plains think of the Carters as neighbors and friends, just like anybody else.

“I grew up in church with him,” says Maya Wynn. “He’s a nice guy, just like a regular person.”

“He’s a good ol’ Southern gentleman,” says David Lane.

Carter says this place formed him, seeding his beliefs about racial equality. His farmhouse youth during the Great Depression made him unpretentious and frugal. His friends, maybe only half-joking, describe Carter as “tight as a tick.”

That no-frills sensibility, endearing since he left Washington, didn’t work as well in the White House. Many people thought Carter scrubbed some of the luster off the presidency by carrying his own suitcases onto Air Force One and refusing to have “Hail to the Chief” played.

Stuart E. Eizenstat, a Carter aide and biographer, said Carter’s edict eliminating drivers for top staff members backfired. It meant that top officials were driving instead of reading and working for an hour or two every day.

“He didn’t feel suited to the grandeur,” Eizenstat said. “Plains is really part of his DNA. He carried it into the White House, and he carried it out of the White House.”

Carter’s presidency — from 1977 to 1981 — is often remembered for long lines at gas stations and the Iran hostage crisis.

“I may have overemphasized the plight of the hostages when I was in my final year,” he says. “But I was so obsessed with them personally, and with their families, that I wanted to do anything to get them home safely, which I did.”

He said he regrets not doing more to unify the Democratic Party.

When Carter looks back at his presidency, he says he is most proud of “keeping the peace and supporting human rights,” the Camp David accords that brokered peace between Israel and Egypt, and his work to normalize relations with China. In 2002, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.

“I always told the truth,” he says.

Carter has been notably quiet about President Trump. But on this night, two years into Trump’s term, he’s not holding back.

“I think he’s a disaster,” Carter says. “In human rights and taking care of people and treating people equal.”

“The worst is that he is not telling the truth, and that just hurts everything,” Rosalynn says.

Carter says his father taught him that truthfulness matters. He said that was reinforced at the U.S. Naval Academy, where he said students are expelled for telling even the smallest lie.

“I think there’s been an attitude of ignorance toward the truth by President Trump,” he says.

Carter says he thinks the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision has “changed our political system from a democracy to an oligarchy. Money is now preeminent. I mean, it’s just gone to hell now.”

He says he believes that the nation’s “ethical and moral values” are still intact and that Americans eventually will “return to what’s right and what’s wrong, and what’s decent and what’s indecent, and what’s truthful and what’s lies.”

But, he says, “I doubt if it happens in my lifetime.”

After dinner at their friend’s house, the Carters leave, with two Secret Service agents walking close behind. The former president’s gait is a bit unsteady these days, three years after a diagnosis of melanoma on his liver and brain. After radiation and chemotherapy, Carter says he is cancer-free.

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Shouts & Murmurs

January 14, 2019 Issue

Carterism

The bombastic peanut-farming mogul turned President would pace the Lincoln Bedroom into the wee hours, sending telegrams.

By Teddy Wayne

After the 1976 Presidential election, James E. Carter, Jr., was not content with mere victory. The bombastic peanut-farming mogul turned politician would pace the Lincoln Bedroom into the wee hours, sending telegrams in which he, using arbitrary capitalizations and quotation marks, raged against “Geriatric” Gerald Ford.

Observers speculated that Carter was attempting to discredit his vanquished opponent because he did not have a fulsome mandate, having won only 50.1 per cent of the popular vote. Or perhaps it was simply his instinct to lash out when he was alone; his wife, Rosalynn, had bucked tradition by initially staying behind in Atlanta with their young daughter, Amy, much to the curiosity of Americans, who wondered if theirs might be a marriage of convenience.

“Let Carter be Carter” was the common refrain among the President’s advisers, who tried to fill his time with meetings to thwart his insatiable telegram habit. But they were uncertain how to respond in person to his monomaniacal attacks on Ford.

“Don’t you think I should put Gerald in jail?” Carter asked his advisers each day. “I can do that, right? Send someone who lost the election and no longer has any official political power to prison, just because I feel like it?”

Sure, they told him, but suggested that maybe he should first tackle stagflation and the oil crisis. They provided him with clippings of newspaper headlines that were tailored to his short attention span and limited grasp of issues other than peanut farming.

“This is the best economic shape America’s ever been in, and it’s all because of Carter,” the President growled, in his brash Georgia accent. “fraudulent fourth-estate reportage!”

Instead of addressing the country’s pressing issues, Carter held a succession of rallies at which he wistfully recalled his Election Night victory and bragged about his business acumen—although, to those in peanut circles, he was mostly considered a joke, especially after the airing of his radio game show, “The Farmhand.” And, as his term wore on, mounting evidence suggested that his campaign had colluded with the peanut industry to get him elected. In a leaked telegram from the previous year, an emissary associated with the Planters company had proposed a clandestine meeting to Amy Carter, promising “dirt on Ford.”

“If it’s what you say I love it especially later in the summer,” the eight-year-old had replied, in a message written with crayon on construction paper.

“He was offering us soil on top of Ford pickups for our farm,” the President explained. “Everyone knows that summer is the best time to plant peanuts. Besides, my daughter is new to politics—she’s just a girl, really.”

Amy Carter said, “I went to the meeting, and the guy immediately began rambling on nonsensically about fertilizer and harvesting cycles. I lost interest and left after twenty minutes. The whole thing is a big nothing legume.”

Wayne, Teddy, and Teddy Wayne. “Carterism.” The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 4 Jan. 2019, www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/01/14/carterism.

Notwithstanding all this, Democratic leaders continued to support the President because they felt that they had a chance to pass a once-in-a-generation peanut-subsidy bill. The subsidy cleared the Senate, to the delight of wealthy peanut-farm owners, including Carter. (The President had ostensibly divested himself of his family farm but let his two eldest sons run it and, despite the glaring ethics issues, hosted foreign dignitaries there for lavish dinners, at which Carter routinely ate two pieces of peanut brittle and everyone else got one.)

Conservative media outlets made puns about the bill’s dishonest “shell game” qualities and the “mere peanuts” that independent farmers would accrue, but their arguments fell on deaf ears among Carter supporters. They maintained their steadfast admiration for the President, who had once boasted that he would not lose any voters even if he shot somebody on Main Street in his home town of Plains, Georgia.

After Carter’s inexplicable kowtowing to a murderous Nigerian peanut overlord, a special counsel was appointed. Democrats attempted to discredit the investigation, while Republicans sought impeachment but also fretted about the terrifying dangers of a Walter Mondale Presidency.

As the special counsel closed in, the President’s faithful supporters still attended his rallies, at which he continued to lead them in anti-Ford chants.

“Confine him to a federal penitentiary!” Carter screamed, in the panicked tone of a guilty man trying to divert attention from his crimes. “Confine him to a federal penitentiary!” he repeated, night after night, whipping the crowd into a frenzy, though attendees could not say exactly what the rationale was for imprisoning Ford, or why they hated him so much, or even why they cultishly worshipped a leader whose policies were directly hurting them and who was, in new ways every day, revealing himself to be a toxic asshole.

Also, Carter wore clownishly long cardigans. ♦

Thursday, January 7 Your interviews...enjoy

1823 Ira Aldridge begins his very successful acting career in Europe; later he willl debut as Othello 
in London

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Interview with Shania Washington

By Tayah Smith

“In the beginning it was nice and such a privilege to be in this school but towards the end it became a headache...still is” said Shania while we were sitting in the front of the class on a cool february day. There were other people working in the back so there were small noises like tapping.

While we were talking about Shania’s expectations from SOTA her face lit up as she talked about the fantasy as she got through her explanation, she was leaning her head on her hand and had the other in the pocket of her grey sweater.

As I rustled through the pages of my yellow composition notebook, I asked “Was your experience at School of the Arts what you expected it to be?” “No, I expected it to be like HIghschool Musical and I was disappointed,” said Shania while moving her hands. “I thought we could do whatever we want like sing in the hallways and dance” she laughed and I joined in because I had once thought the same thing, she then looked up at the smart board.

“Where do you see yourself in 10 years and what strategies did you use to make this vision a reality?” I was very eager to asked this question because I love seeing and knowing that there’s hope for the future. Shania faced me and smiled as she said “ In 10 years I see myself with a Masters in forensic science”. This interested me because I would like to be a forensic nurse practitioner. Shania plans on doing a 2+2 program then move to another city.

The interview then took a slight turn as we moved into Shania’s secluded life. During this point in the interview the sun was still glistening and she rested lightly on the desk.

“Reflect on someone that has played an important role in your life” I asked, “either someone you know or perhaps an artist or a musician”. A smile instantly appeared “My grandma...she showed me what it takes to be a strong woman” I nodded and agreed because I feel the same way about my grandmother. “and individual without a man by my side” she was no longer resting on the desk. The delight on Shania had while talking about her Grandma was evident because she already knew that her Grandmother was her inspiration.

Many people look up to their parents or grandparents for doing things such as raising them or just being a prominent figure in their lives.

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Interview with Timani Bowens

By Phonemani Kongmany

On a cold but sunny day in class, I had been assigned to interview Timani. We had never conversed

before until today. Timani and I found ourselves sitting near the entrance of the classroom. Not many

students showed up for school considering it was a Friday and two days prior, school was closed.

When we began the interview, it looked like we both didn’t know who should start and she asked

if I wanted to start first. I began by asking her: “Everyone has weaknesses. What would you

consider to be one of yours’ and what strategies do you use to manage it?” One of the biggest

weaknesses she deals with everyday is time management. She often struggles with managing her

time because she procrastinates a lot. I continued “We talked about your weaknesses, but now let’s

look at your strengths. Tell me a couple of those and how they help you in every day interactions”.

Although she finds it hard to manage time, she considers organization to be her strength. Keeping an

agenda in handy helps her keep track of her daily activities. Before responding she took a minute to

reflect on her answer and leaned back into her chair, “I’m an organized person but my time

management is horrible. Being more organized helps with school though so I try to be more on time

and turn my assignments in on time”.

Contrary to appearances, she looked very laid back with a black hoodie and ripped jeans.

Although based on appearance she looked very laid back, she is very hard-working and humble.

Timani prioritizes school. I asked her “What is the most valuable lesson that you have learned so far?”

and at first she simply replied with “school”. Furthermore she explained that she had to learn her

lesson on time management because it affected her school work. If a school assignment wasn’t done

on time then it was her fault for not responsibly managing her time wisely. She states, “It’s better to

do things ahead of time instead of pushing it off” and by the serious look on her face, you can see

that it was important for her to have good grades in order to be successful.

She cares about how her grades are now so they will help her in the future. Although you

can be nice in school, it can vary outside of school but for Timani it doesn’t seem this way.

I asked her, “What’s the most genuine thing you’ve ever done for someone?” and she instantly

explained how she had taken notes for a friend while they went to the bathroom without them

asking. I further asked her “Have you done anything to help the community? Anything that made

you feel like you’ve really helped?” She felt like she really affected someone’s life when she gave a

homeless man food. She said, “It felt good to give it to someone who doesn’t have it the same way

she does”.

Ending positively with the message, “Don’t get greedy, always stay humble”.

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INTERVIEW with Angelica

by Tina Gao

            A particular cold windy day, far back in the left corner of the classroom, Angelica sits there with a bright smile. Her lipsticks matches with her hoodie, as her long, silky, wavy hair dangles from behind. She goes to School of the Arts and she’s a dance, in this school all students face daily and their life growing up and lifestyle in high school. I look into her eyes and asked, “What is your daily challenges in life and how do you overcome these obstacles?” She gives me a sweet smile and then in reply, “Perfectionism, I want everything to be perfect.” She is one of top 25 students in ranking and she feels like the works that she has summited in, some are just not perfect enough and doesn’t live up to her expectations. She would turn in work but feel like that she isn’t putting in her best. As she is fiddling with her hand, I asked her the next question, “Most teens faced stress and depression, what is your encouragement to other teenagers who are your age and share similar experiences?” “Get help and that there is nothing wrong asking for help,” she responded confidently, genturing her sympathy towards those who are or once victims to depression. In highschool majority of students face anxiety and depression and Angelica, herself is aware that depression is common in high school but students shouldn’t fear going to adults for help and support. Moving onto the next question, Angelica gives me another smile and places both her hand on her lap as she leans closer towards me as I am about to ask the next following question to her, “Everyone has something in their past they would like to change, tell me about something that, if you had the opportunity, you would do differently to change the outcome?” “Everything happens for a reason,” she replied back. She feels like “it can’t be change cause it already has happen.” Angelica is a realistic and pessimistic person so she feel like “if you set low standards you will be a victim to disappointment.” She sat there silently a while thinking what to say next as I questioned her the next question, “Senior year is quickly coming to an end. What is your next step and how are you going to make it happen?” She gives me another bright smile and looks a little hesitant and unsure, “Bachelor's degree...not too sure on a major.” She is interested in law or a form of business. Connection to college, “To what extent is education vital to someone’s future? Think about the economics and social opportunities.” Angelica plays with her necklace, society sees it as more education the quality of the person is worth, and she disagree with the fact but it’s just how the society sees it as. “More education...gets higher regards, says Angelica. Lastly, “College has become very expensive, pretend that you are a counselor, what advice would you give to someone who wants the college experience, but needs strategies to pay for it?” “Lots of scholarships that people don't know about. Lots of open opportunities,” she spins in her chair a little as she makes eye contacts with me. Highschool isn’t easy, much less dealing with the lifestyle as a highschool student thats preparing themself for college.

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INTERVIEW WITH JOTHAM (JO)!

By Brandon Watson

            The person I interviewed was named Jotham Denegall. He was a person who I never talked to before nor have I ever planned to talk to. I have learned many unique things about him that made me respect him more than I already did. The first thing I noticed about him was that he didn’t want to participate in the interview which was how I also felt at first. But despite that he showed positivity and went along with doing the interview with the factor that he didn’t know me at all. This shows that he is able to adapt and get along with other people even in uncomfortable situations. This observation was expanded when I asked him question 2, what would it be like to be thrown into a new experience and had to meet new people. He stated that it wouldn’t be a problem for him as he is able to easily make new friends and get along with him. I respect this because this is a skill that I unfortunately will never have and considerably he is able to do it effortlessly shows how confident he is. But as every human comes with their flaws. When I asked him question 4, what are your flaws and how would you improve them, he said that whenever he expresses an opinion, he feels like his is superior than others. Not that he disrespects other people’s opinions. He feels like this is a bad habit that he is planning on changing which is also something I will always respect as he is actually acknowledging and trying to improve his flaws instead of just not doing anything about them. Even though the interview went well. I felt like the interview questions didn’t bring out the most information out of him as some details felt left out.

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Interview with Elyse Spencer 

By Elizabeth Medina

    Since eighth grade I’ve known Elyse. Even though we haven’t been in many classes together, I’ve come to know her as someone with energy and lightness. So when I was assigned to conduct a formal interview with her, I looked forward to some deeper sharing. Uncovering details about her that I had no clue of before. Every aspect of her was forthcoming and every response held truth. The interview took place in a hallway full of distractions, but that did not interfere with the deep words that were shared. Depth of sincerity was given off by the little details down to her tone, movements, and choice of words all in effort to answer each question to the best of her ability. I sat in awe at her manner of developing genuine answers to what was asked. Taking short but meaningful pauses to process thoughts and feelings initiated by the questions. These measures she took showcased truth and meaning behind what she had to say.

 “Is there a specific event in your past that you would want to go back to and alter/relive? If so, why?” I asked then quickly noticed how her head angled in thought for a few seconds. She then continued to explain her feelings upon the topic “If I had the choice to relive or change something, I would choose not to because everything that happened made me who I am today.” I allowed her to explain her reasoning “Each moment we are blessed with is not promised, and the past cannot be changed. My past doesn't define my future, I decide my future today.”

“What is something that has occured in the past that impacted you greatly? How has it impacted you?” She bowed her head slightly for a second before responding “My dad, leaving. That occurrence has shaped me into who I am today. Growing up with all girls, caused me to form certain views.” she then went into depth sharing a few stories from the past that assisted in explaining her point of view. I noticed a change in her eyes, a hint of melancholy and woe. Her eyes shut and head tilted down allowing me to see the small blonde curls on her head. She brought her head back up and carried on as she used her hands and eyes to conclude the stories. Wrapping up her last thoughts on the question, I noticed a change in her posture. This allowed me to take her necklist into realization as it swung lightly back and forth. The rays of sunshine that came through the nearby window reflected off the gem dangling.

Now that puzzle pieces of her past have been shared, I decided guide the interview in the opposite direction “Where do you see yourself in 7 years and why?”

“Seven years I will be twentyfour” she quickly replied “Hopefully in seven years I get my stuff together.” she chuckled and smiled “Hopefully I will be not just financially, but also emotionally secure.” her words were spoken with this sense of hope and positivity causing me to feel this warmth in my heart. 

“What are you going to do to make this a reality?” I asked studying her

“I’m human and I fall into temptation. But I will do better and I won’t allow the same temptations and sins to ruin my life and I will get there. I know how to be better, but I choose not to do it. That is something I will no longer do seven years from now, speaking it into existence.” She moves her hand across her neck in a swift motion “Period.”

Now with the some knowledge of her past and future, I took little factors into consideration. What steps she has taken to achieve this light she is giving off and how she feels she can improve to better herself in the long run.

“Everyone has strengths and weaknesses? Could you share how you personally perceive one of each within yourself and how they have impacted your life?” Once again taking a moment to process, she places her hand on the short blonde curls on top of her head. “I feel the need to fix people.” being her own perceived weakness I assumed immediately “I place them with my perception of how I think they should be, I see them in a version that isn't themselves, its myself. What I’m trying to say is that I see the potential in people and feel that I won't be able to love them fully until I let it go.”

She pauses for a few moments before continuing. I closely observe her movement in thought process, noticing her eyes looking up or to the far right deep in thought.

“My strength is my need to keep going” she goes on to explain “My need to keep going, keep pushing myself, and keep working towards something that I want, is my greatest strength.” she proceeds to elaborate how she achieves maintaining her strengths and attempts to better her weaknesses. I couldn’t help but wonder if there was a possibility, would she alter anything within?

“If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be and why?” Elyse shuts her eyes for a brief moment and raises her hand to her chin “and if you don’t wish to change anything about yourself, why?” I finish. “The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement. So not to change, but to improve myself. I would like to improve-” she makes quotation symbols with her hands as she says “-my wokeness” 

Her tone alters to a more wise manner “My understanding, my perception of things. I want to be able to understand multiple sides to things.” she then gave examples elaborating on thinking and judgement. I decided to place her in a scenario to understand her from a different point. Giving her the opportunity to think creatively and include insight of her specific choices.

“Redecorate your bedroom. Select a color and a new decor. Describe this to me and explain your choices.” I said. “If I could change my room, it would be so vast and big, big enough for a studio, for pictures. Art hanging all around, pictures and quotes everywhere too.” she paused for a moment and looked up as if she envisioning what she just described. “The color would be bright yellow and patches of gray. I just want the room to give me an empowerment and a good feeling where I can truly be myself and express what I love.” smiling while using dramatic hand gestures and changing her tone of voice from time to time as she explained her ideal room. She made it known what she was passionate about and how she wishes to keep that alive in life. Then it hit me, what impact does she wish to make on the world?

“After a long, rich life, how would like to be remembered?” I asked

“I would like to be remembered for my light. Scripture says we should be like a city on the hilltop, we should be so bright and such an attention grabber. That's what I want to be. We are a light, God says. I want to be remembered for being a being a light to influence other people to be the best version of themselves.” she said. Concluding with a smile on her face, a smile that gave off hope and happiness. Religion obviously plays a huge role in her life. 

In that moment, I truly felt inspired. My dear friend is on a journey and it goes on from that moment to her continuing to inspire others as she did to me. I stood up and took her in my arms while smiling at her beautiful light.

  

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Interview with Ms.  Perez:

By Abrianna Edwards

          A lazily drawn out Friday afternoon at about 12:20 an interview was started about random things in life people don’t usually discuss often. The conversation began with a woman of dusty rose turtleneck with big golden hoops, brown speckled foggy glasses placed upon her nasal bridge. Tension never occurred and the sentences never had a definite pause where it had been agreed that it was awkward. “What is your personal biased opinion on body art whether it be tattoos or paint and piercings?”. I tried speaking without giggling trying to be professional as eye contact was being pursued on my end. A big pause continued soon after as she looked away not keeping eye contact putting her clothing over her mouth in comfort. “It was my dad’s only wish to not get any piercings or tattoos but I’m supportive about people’s decisions if it makes them happy”. Followed by a shrug and semi-embarrassing story from her rebel teenage days and the guilt that followed her. I then followed up with a silly question to make the encounter light and humorous. “If you could eat any cereal for the rest of your life what would it be and why?”. There was no hesitation in her eyes or speech when she instantly stated that cinnamon toast crunch was her all time favorite for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. “Parker is soon gonna realize that I’m an adult child as soon as she reads this”. Laughing continued filling the air as I typed away on my keyboard what happened in the duration of that time. “  What color do you despise the most how does it make you feel and how do you avoid it?”. Red is extremely alarming and is most associated with warnings or stop signs in order to avoid it she substitutes it with other colors that have a more calming effect. I then asked where in the world would she be if school wasn’t in session due to it being tiring come 7th period. Eye contact is avoided for a while as she quickly said Disney World or a nice winery where the evening can be spent in relaxation. As the questions continued the air got lighter and it turned into more of a conversation then interview due to us being comfortable around one another. What is the difference between ‘I love you’ and ‘love you’ when I looked up her posture changed quickly leaning forward. There was a serious look in her eyes when she explained “texting is miscommunication when it can be said face to face whether it’s light hearted or not”. With my known knowledge of her I knew that the next answer was going to be short and sweet but I didn’t make assumptions because I wanted her blunt opinion. I quickly asked if one’s sexuality should affect their life but before I could finish the sentence she cut me off saying “ It shouldn’t” then smiled widely chuckling a bit at the end of her sentence.

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Interview with Coralys

By Abigail Lotemple

It was a very cold day on February 1st, 2019. Coralys and i got out of the classroom for a personal interview, we sat down in the counselor’s office, I knew it was Coralys 18th birthday so i wished her a happy birthday. She got through her questions with me and it was very nice and i felt very comfortable now it was my turn. I asked Coralys “Could you tell me one of your positive qualities and a time you were able to use this?” Coralys answered quickly and happily saying “Being caring is one of my positive qualities” she pauses “Being caring really comes in handy when i use it every day where I work, which is at Rochester General and I treat patients with care”. I want to know more personal things about Coralys so I go inside her bedroom “Walk me through your room, describing some of favorite items and where you got them”. She looks at me and smiles and she describes her room “A little messy room, red and black blankets on her bed just my size, music notes on the wall and also my hedgehog”. She stops and gets embarrassed and tells me while laughing “Don’t tell no one this but I have a little stuffed lion that right by my bed that i sleep with i call him bubba”. I laugh and say “Don’t worry I have stuff animals too” We both laugh and i continue on to the next question “Are you a cat or dog person?” She looks at me and immediately says “Dog” I say “ Me too, but why do you like dogs more?” She begins to explain “Dog person, because they are playful have more personality than a cat”. I continue “Now pretend you are a dog. What is your day like?” She responds “As a dog I’d probably nap and play with my people all day” We laugh and she waits for me to ask the nest question. “Everyone has down days. How do you pull yourself up when you feel that way?” She looks down “It takes a minute for me to get myself in a better mood, i usually seclude myself from others so i don’t take it out on them, then i relax and drink some tea” She takes a long pause and deep breath “When I have work or I’m busy i just learn to push it aside” I nod. “Take yourself back in time to a warm memory. Describe the day to me. Anyone there?” She starts smiling as she remembers the memory and looks at me “When my mom got married I was so happy and it was a very private small wedding but we had the best time, when I seen my mom come out in her wedding dress it made me cry because she looked so beautiful and it was special to me”. Coralys has a big smile on her face which made me smile. I got ready to ask my last question for Coralys “Senior year is drawing to a close. How are you preparing for your next step?” Coralys responds by saying “Well I’m making sure I’m more organized, I’m trying to make sure I maintain my grades and overall not stress too much”.  Coralys and I felt really happy how our interview turned out and it made us closer.

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 Interview with Malikya Russell

By Graham Gauthier

            In the orange glow of a Friday afternoon, is when I first spoke with Malikya Russell. A cool february breeze snuck through the open window and gently met our seats, as if it were to take audience in our conversation to come.

            We began the with the basic pleasantries, as a means of becoming comfortable in one another’s presence. As we begin to enter lull in conversation, I take the opportunity to turn on the recorder; lights, camara, action.

            I begin by asking what might be one thing she must do before her time on this Earth is over. Immediately her eyes began to light up and with equivalent swiftness answered “Without a doubt I have to zipline over Niagara Falls”. Malikya continued by recalling her first time going zip lining on a camping trip. She described how amazing it felt to have the wind in her face as she sped through branches, 50 feet above the forest floor. An obvious adrenaline junky, she told me the minute she heard it was possible to zipline over Niagra Falls, she envisioned herself racing down the line, trading leaves for water droplets.

            Having heard what she aspires to do, I used my next question to ask her if she has done anything in her life she she may regret. Again, it did not take long for her to think of an answer, however something within her had changed. As she quickly ducked her eyes to the ground, she said “definitely when I got my first tattoo.” She goes on to explain that it wasn’t the actual tattoo that she regretted, for her it was the reaction her parents had when they found out. From that day forward she vowed to take both of her parent’s opinion before she makes another decision such as a tattoo in the future.

            I then asked her who has truly inspired her in her life. I believe this was the first question to stump Miss Russell, however after a short time pondering, a small smile began to creep across her face. “I’ll have to say my Aunt… She gave me my first summer job at a daycare.” She later confided in me that she was the reason why she is so interested in pursuing childcare as a future occupation.

            I was very interested to hear her response for my next question. I asked what she would like in her last meal. “A big pot of Shrimp Alfredo”, she said, explaining her love for the italian dish. “Something about alfredo sauce and the distinct taste of shrimp, just melds together into perfection for me”. The reason I say I was interested in this response is because of my own foul experiences with Shrimp Alfredo in the past; her explanation made me feel as though I may have to give the dish one more shot, somewhere else perhaps.

            Malikya became stumped once more when I asked her how she believes she acts in the face of adversity. Truthly at first, she believed she had no idea how she was to answer the question, however after a short round of questions, she admitted she has been plagued with a fear of public speaking for most of her life. In this instance, she has never backed down however, always practicing her oration skills with her brothers and peers, and always accepting feedback. She admitted she still had things to perfect, but I am certain her determination is carried with her to combat most every challenge she faces.

            In efforts to create a nice end to my round of questions, I used my final question to have her describe the most impactful memory from her childhood. Malikya began to giggle to herself as she recounted her first time cooking eggs. She joked that she was so confident that she was going to produce professional level cuisine and ended up burning a circle into her wooden countertop. Miss Russell tells me from that day forward she was sure to take the proper precautions to prevent any future accidents such as the smolder marks still left in her kitchen.

            Once the questions were done, we smiled, I thanked her for her time, we shook hands and I clicked the camera off record. I’m happy to have gotten the chance to sit down and learn more about one of my fellow classmates.

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 Interview with Tina Gao

By Angelica Otero

     Not until I was assigned an interview with Tina had I ever had a real conversation with my fellow classmate. Despite school reopening after the terrible storm, many students did not attend school except me and my interviewee, along with a few others. We settled ourselves in the back of the room to become further secluded from the little chatter that had already existed. Before I began, I had noticed several things; there was a cloud of uneasiness above us with a drizzle of fidgeting and nervous smiles. After exchanging pleasantries, I initiated the interview in hopes of breezing through the conversation while getting to know a little more about Tina.

            My first question was, in my opinion, a very basic, easy starter to break the ice between us; I had asked her to describe to me in full detail, her earliest memory. To my surprise, she had opened up rather quickly and described how she had to move to Rochester from Pennsylvania at a relatively young age and all that had come about during that time period. Recalling her feelings at the time, she claimed she felt she was, “leaving everything behind,” and that it was “too much to accept.” I segued into a much lighter question to distract her from the sad memories of leaving her hometown with the common question of which animal would she had been reincarnated into if she had the opportunity. Her response was quite charming, she hesitated answering, proving my question had come at a surprise and left her a little dumbstruck, but followed up with saying she would be a Panda because they are “quite wise and responsible in regards to parenthood” and Panda Bears, similar to Tina, “just eat and sleep.”

Before I had continued my questioning I had noticed the feelings of uneasiness dwindle between us and the conversation had flowed effortlessly in just a matter of minutes. Engaging in a little self reflection, I wondered what quality that needed some improvement would be, granted that I knew very meager about her; honestly she responded saying she was “too stubborn and not willing to listen to others opinions or didn’t even care to.” Tina continued detailing how she was too guarded for her own good and has no empathy to understand anyone or let anyone in her life;“I have a wall around me.” In contrast, I pondered what her favorable trait was; she is very optimistic.“I find a way to twist a negative situation into a positive situation” she stated in response to my question. Although we had only been conversing for less than twenty minutes I had began to understand Tina more than at the start of the conversation.

            I decided to close the interview with two questions that every person has thought of more than a few times within their lifespan. I asked her to imagine herself in her dream destination to live in and in proving my point she responded immediately, going on a tangent that she would live in West Palm Beach, Florida because of the, “beautiful trees and nice beaches,” magnificent architect and interesting museums, to summarize. Not having looked up at the clock once, I suddenly realize how little time is left within the period so I ask my final question for the interview: what is your biggest fear and why? Responses could vary, being highly superficial or heart wrenchingly deep; the response would reveal my interviewee’s real identity. Before answering, she had thought long and hard, frown lines marking her face as she said, “losing a loved one, someone that I depend on.” That reply showcased everything that was needed to allow me to connect with Tina on a deeper level.

A loud bell breaks my train of thought as we both rush to pack up our things and head off to the next class, yet what remains is a sense of relief that not only was the conversation painless but interesting and fun to have actually discovered something new about someone that I haven’t got the opportunity to know. 

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 Interview with Elizabeth Medina

By Elyse Spencer

On a quiet Monday morning, where the temperature has risen to 64 degrees and the warmth produced a good mood within the school, I met with Elizabeth Medina, a friend of mine for over four years. The level of comfort I felt was high, as I sat her down and prepared myself to ask her a few questions. The dim lighting in the hallway, complemented by the sun shining through the window to our side and the orange paint on the walls brought out the rosiness on her cheeks.

As we started, Elizabeth was giggling over a an encounter we had prior to starting the interview. I looked over my questions and caught her fidgeting with her hoodie and then folding her fair hands tightly into her lap. I began my interview with the question, “What is the thing that makes you want to get out of bed in the morning, besides your alarm or the responsibility of going to school or work?”

She pushed her glasses farther up her nose and cuffed her hands around the sleeve of her black hoodie. She took a long sigh and looked down for about a second. She looked at me with her bright brown eyes and long eyelashes behind her black frame glasses. “The need to keep going,” she said confidently. It was the answer that I expected to receive. I’ve known her my whole high school career, seen her through some of her toughest moments and great ones. “Everyday I get up, and I get depressed,” she continued, “not for a long time just for a little while. And then I remember I have to keep going, I can’t stop because it never stops. As long as life keeps going, i have to keep going.”

When I looked up at her after her response, I expected to see some form of pain in her eyes. But as she explained how she felt the need to keep going because of what her mom taught her, her eyes chinked due to her chubby cheeks and her smiling. There was a glistening in her eyes that told me that she could hold her own.

As I went on with the interview, I asked her a question about religion and fate, and that plays a role in her life. Elizabeth responded by simply saying “There’s been times when something has happened that was out of my control, but it was for the better. Or when i wanted something to happen and it didn’t because it was out of my control.” There was a type of passion in her voice. She sat up in her chair and spoke not only through words, but with her hands. Shaping the words she was saying and not losing eye contact with me, I knew that she was preparing to dig deeper into conversation with me.

“I do believe there is a God and he will guide you, but I don’t think there is a a set in stone path. You have a guide, and you have to figure that out on your own. You can’t control everything, but some things to an extent.” I looked up at her and could tell that her response was just what she learned in the past and testifying to it in this interview.

I folded my hands and thought about how to approach the next question. Of the years I’ve known her, I never understood why she chose her major. I asked, “Can you describe the feeling you get when you’re allowed to indulge yourself in your passion, major or favorite hobby?”

Elizabeth quickly and confidently answered. “Comfort,” she said. The mood between us was calm. She explained how in her personal life, her feelings aren’t always easy to understand or control. “I’m so calm when I’m performing and I don’t even realize it. It’s like I’m not me, I’m somebody else.” She justified her statement by continuing with saying “But not in a bad way, in a way that I’m exploring and I’m trying to figure out what it’s like to be in somebody else’s shoes.”

She brushed her loose brown curls behind her ear and looked as if she was debating whether she should explain further on how she felt.

There were students walking behind us and in the hallways so the noise level increased. I wanted to go deeper into conversation and pierce the intimate parts of her mind and feelings. I asked her a question that I wish people would ask me more. “How has having either one or both parents, and either an active or unpassionate family in your life growing up affect who you are today?”

Elizabeth breathed deeply and looked down at her lap. She moved her black scrunchie around on her wrist. “Having one fully active parent has impacted me greatly,” she replied. “Certain things my father did has caused me to believe things at a young age that I shouldn’t have. I matured before my time.” During this conversation I noticed that there was less eye contact and the tone of her voice seemed regretful. This melancholy question turned bright as I related to her when she concluded her response with “ I have my mom, that’s all I need. I don’t see a better version of myself if he was active in my life.”

As time ticked down until the period was ending, I asked my final question. “When in your life,” I stated as I looked her in eyes, “do you believe you were the best version of yourself?”

Dreamy, that how I would describe her eyes in that moment. Through this question, I was able to explore a new topic, a new memory with my close friend.

She tilted her head in confusion at first. So I further explained my question and while doing so she cut me off. “It wasn’t a long period of time,” she butted in. “I felt happy after I didn’t feel happy for a long time. Suddenly it came, like it wasn’t easy but it was easy… Over the summer I just prospered. I did what I had to do and I was just in a state of happiness because I didn't care what people thought of me anymore.”

After years of seeing the struggles, trials and hardships my dear friend had faced, to hear her tell of the time where she felt at her best only brightened my perspective on her. Due to those hard times and insecurities, she ahd a period of growth and akcnolwdgemnt of her worth.

I rose out of my chair and hugged her very tightly, expressing my love and joy for her, before she could finishing talking.

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Interview with Giancarlo Mendez

by Ja’Miah Smith

At School of the Arts in Rochester, NY, 17 year old Giancarlo Mendez and I sat down with me side by side in room A350 during our shared journalism course. Giancarlo is a visual arts major at the high school and following his interviewing of me, he shared with me some of his thoughts in regards to himself, his life, and the world as a whole.

“The biggest challenge I’ve faced was coming out to my father,” Giancarlo responded after looking up at the ceiling for several moments. Giancarlo being apart of the LGBTQ community faced his troubles in displaying his sexuality to his father, but the experience in the end, “taught me and taught my father,” he said, “opening his eyes although he had his biases.”

School of the Arts is a very open school not only to different races, but to different sexualities, and even different talents as well, but Giancarlo and I agreed that coming here could be completely different than what you would expect. “How would you say being at SOTA has changed or affected you,” I asked. Giancarlo and I chuckled over the fact that we thought School of the Arts would be like High School Musical. “It was nothing like I expected it to be,” he said, “but when I look at other schools they’re not as creative and fun. SOTA brings out the happiness and creativity.”

Giancarlo and other students at School of the Arts have several different talents, and this school allows those talents to be expressed. Being a school of art, expression and creativity is huge, and everyone’s major could mean something way more than what meets the eye. “I know for me my art allows me to escape and just has helped me develop as a person,” I begin looking at Giancarlo, as he waited attentively for the next question, “and so how would you say your art has helped or benefited you?” He made a face as if to say good question before responding, “I’m not really too big on painting and drawing, but I really enjoy photography and sculpting,” he says going back and forth from looking into the abyss to looking at me, “like sculpting your own idea and turning and idea to a 3D art piece, and when it comes to photography, I’m a people person, I like to capture people and people smiling,” he said using his hands to enforce his words, “my major helps me to understand art.”

Giancarlo also plans to bring his art into his life 10 years from now. “I plan to live either in a different state or a different continent,” he said, “I want to be a veterinarian, rehabilitate wildlife, and help endangered species because I love working with animals,” he continues as he leans back and grabs into his bookbag for a tissue and wipes his nose, “I want to travel the world seeing the different variations of species, and use a camera to record things because you don’t want to forget these things. One day they won’t be there.”

Giancarlo has a love for animals and for helping the environment, and so with all the issues going on in the world, he has major thoughts on what are the main issues and what should be done about them. “We have a lot of issues,” he said, “Drugs are a big issue, racism, and poverty. Rochester is one of the biggest poverty cities and New York is one of the biggest states.” He continued, “Lack of jobs leads into racism because when you look at a white person they’re succeeding, but when you look at a person of color they are typically struggling.” In knowing these issues Giancarlo feels they should be changed, but also explained that, “even if you try to take the bad things away it will still be around, but it will be hard because a lot of people do it.”

On the topic of all that's bad in the world, with a large sum of money, one could make a big difference in the world. “What would you do if you won a two million dollar lottery?” I asked, “Would you put it into helping the environment and animals? Would you use it to stop some of the bad things in the world?” Again looking up at the ceiling to think, “To be honest I would give at least one million to my parents, Specifically my mom. She has been the biggest supporter ever and she was there for the dark days,” he said seemingly emotionally and passionately, “She does as much as she can to give me everything, and she reminds me everyday that she wants to give me the world although she doesn’t have it. I wish there was a way I could repay her.” I nod in agreeance, looking between him and my computer screen. “But with the rest of the money, I would of course have some for myself. I would save or travel. I definitely want to invest in foundations and donations because my life revolves around animals. Maybe some luxuries, step back from my needs and gets some wants, and just have fun.”

I thanked Giancarlo for his time, wrapping up the questioning. He smiled, “This was fun.” We continued to chat afterwards a bit about the answers found about each other during our time interviewing.

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Interview with Faduma Abdi

By Mariangelis Gonzalez

Rochester, on an unusual sunny monday afternoon, Faduma Abdi was waiting to be met at the library to share her future plans and life aspirations. After having an odd week because of the polar vortex, School of the Arts (SOTA) had two days off. Many organizations in the area were cancelled and people were warned to stay indoors because of the extreme frozen temperatures.

All morning we had been writing and reading for our last Creative Writing semester of our high school years. We were able to acknowledge famous authors and analyze their work. Each day, we try to incorporate their styles into our writing as we try to find our own voice.

The window shines sunlight into the room. As she came in through the door, her big smile could brighten up anyone's day. Faduma gently sits in her red chair that matches her beautiful brown and light olive green outfit. She pushes her book bag to the chair next to her and places her Great Value water bottle at front of her, but she doesn’t take a single sip as we speak. It was a safe haven for her hands as she looks around the room. The room was filled with old and new SOTA show posters.

As I start catching her attention with an insight of our senior year, she leans forward and places her hands on her chin, thinking. She looks around the room, as if she is listening and dreaming about the future. I start celebrating how close we are to the completion of high school, and she giggles. I tell her that there are approximately five months left. She starts counting in her head and writes in the air trying to figure out the amount of days that we have left. “It’s like—what? One hundred forty two days, right?” As she kept on laughing, it made it easy to talk to her about other relatable topics, and to keep the conversation freely flowing.

I move on to talk about her plans after high school. She replies instantly, without doubts. She leans on the desk at front of us and rests her head as she speaks. She traces upon her water bottle, connecting her current life to the next big step. “I applied for college. Most of them are Rochester area colleges. Basically that’s it! I really didn’t think past college too much.”

She pulls out a Jolly Rancher that was hidden in her fist. She opens the wrapper and starts sucking on the bright red candy. She doesn’t share much about her plans, other than college. She looks at the wrapper and speaks with a loud, but gentle voice. When she is done, she looks back at me. In order to get more details about her and her plans, I ask her about her intended major, which was a topic that we were able to relate in. “Biology, maybe? Med School is like a maybe for me. Not sure yet. Ninety percent, maybe.” She moved up and sat straight in her chair again, but started playing with the wrapper in her hands.

We started to talk about similarities we had between our future plans, and she shared that one of her goals was to become an oncology doctor. She leans toward me with an interested tone of voice and she ask me about the type of doctor that I want to become. As we continued to talk, we noticed how our own unique characteristics pertain to our future goals. She continues to suck on her Jolly Rancher feeling comfortable during our friendly conversation. As she tilts her water bottle up and down, I ask her about other interest that she has towards the future, other than college. She states that she wishes to travel, but specifies that it would be better in the future since she will be more stable and have more money. She expresses her steps toward the future by saying “I’ve been applying to colleges and scholarships,” which will definitely help her in the long run.

We move on and begin to talk about the different challenges she has faced in life. I wondered how she has managed to overcome those challenges. “I think what helps me in life is patience,” she sits up straight as she looks at her hands, “I’m like a go with the flow person. I don’t really expect things to go to plan. I kinda expect the opposite. I expect the unexpected and it helps me a lot.”

I loss her attention for a bit, so I continue with a joke about doctors being patient instead of patients. We laugh and the conversation opens up again. I ask her about how she has put patience into practice. At first, she was hesitant. She starts looking at her water bottle again. Then, she places her hands over her chin and deeply thinks. It takes a few seconds for her to catch a memory, but she says, “I guess, at home. I am the oldest of eight. I’m kinda like their third parent. They don’t listen much, so I have to be patient with them.” We continue talking about how fun it would be with a household filled with siblings, but she nods and gives me a shy smile.

We move on further into the future. I ask how she would picture her life in five years. She squints her eyes and looks through the window, probably creating a timeline in her mind. Her tone seems a little unsure with time frames. “Maybe, I would’ve had graduated college. Maybe, med school? Somewhere along there.” We also talk about gaining other interest and/or hobbies in life that she wishes to obtain. She keeps great eye contact as she speaks of activity that she longs to go back to in life. “I always wanted to be a little more active. I guess, I’m not as active as I want to be. Like, when I was younger, I used to be way more into sports.”

As we talk about the different hobbies that she wants to gain, there were many experiences that she encountered in her past. Since she is a magnificent writer, we speak about creating a story based on her past life, like a memoir. She starts moving her fingers on the desk, like if she was typing. She then, holds on to her desk and fixes her hijab. “Probably like little stories about my childhood. Definitely a lot there with me, my siblings and what not?” She speaks about light, silly, and heartwarming stories that many other siblings around the world have encountered. “Like the time my brother broke his arm playing soccer, or small stuff like that.” She starts to move in her chair, and then, I share about a novel we read in class, similar to the idea she has for her life’s memoir. The novel I compare to her idea is by the Mexican-American author Reyna Grande, who writes about her relationship with her siblings, parents and coming to America. She smiled and seemed to be inspired by it. Her eyes glimmered. It seemed empowering for her.

She lays her head on the desk pleasantly. Then, I ask her about her expectations coming into the well-known and Rochester’s best, SOTA. She sits up and starts moving around in her chair. “I didn’t have any expectations coming here, to be honest.  I thought it was like any other school. You learn and you go home. That’s it.” Although she says that she had no expectations for the school, her face resembles disappointment. She shares how her parents wanted her to go to a good school, which is why they choose SOTA. We start comparing how she thought SOTA would be with everyone else’s view. Many say they thought it would be like the movie, High School Musical. She laughs because she has heard it many times. She looks for my reaction towards the saying and smiles.

Always being the role model for her siblings, I wondered who does she admired. She seemed assured as she spoke with more body language and moved her hands a lot more. “As cliche as it is, my mom because she got married very young, but she continues, so that the way she grew up...we don’t grow up that way.” We move to looking up to someone famous. She holds on to her desk, but let’s go of it, and immediately replies, “Gandhi. I think everyone looks up to him. He has had so much patience, and so much resistance.” She squints at me to make sure that I am understanding the message that she is trying to come across. “He put up with so much, but continued to what he had to do to gain freedom. That’s really inspirational.” She moves her fingers across the desk, as if writing something that came to mind.

Going back to one of her previous answers about overcoming obstacles. I remind her of her patience. She feels strongly connected to those that have shown patience in life. She holds her hands tight, “If you are rushing in everything in life, it won’t show the best outcomes.” She speaks as if she doesn’t worry about the future, but instead lives in the moment, to see what it holds for her. She smiles as I thank her for her time and wise words.

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Interview with Phonemani 

 By Timani Bowens

On a cold February day in Ms. Parker's  journalism class Phonemani and I were assigned as partners for the interview project. I have never had a conversation with Phonemani until this day. As we sat down to begin,you can tell that both of us were tense, knowing that this is our first encounter with one another. 

The interview began with me asking Phonemani my first question “ Senior year is halfway over. What stresses have you particularly felt this year and how have you handled them?”.  Phonemani answered with no hesitation  about her senior year. Phonemani’s response to the question was “ last year i took all hard classes and it stressed me out. This year as a senior I tried to have all easy classes so that i wouldn't feel so overwhelmed. Applying to college was also stressful because of all the deadlines and all the money that we have to put in senior year”.  I chimed in from time to time relating to almost everything phonemani had said.  I started off the next question by asking “ where do you see yourself in five years?”. She replied with “ I see myself graduated from college with my own home because I want to feel independent and what it feels like to be responsible”. Phoemani and I have some things that were brought with the question in common.  We both would like to go to school as the major of physical therapy. “Take yourself back to a time and place that has a strong positive memory for you. Describe it”. Phonemani hesitates to answer the question. She fixes her glasses and an begins to answer “ Im apart of the national honors society and the ceremony was very important to me.” I responded with “ is there anything else important to you?”. Phonemani says “ another positive memory is me choosing my major for college as physical therapy because of my own experiences”. Music brings up positive emotions. What type of music do you enjoy listening to? Why? When do you listen to it?

“I like pop and R&B music and i like to listen to music during school to like get me motivated. I really hate country music that's all my dad listens to.” as she laughs she says “ my dad doesn't speak good english but knows word for word to every country song”. Music brings up positive emotions. What type of music do you enjoy listening to? Why? When do you listen to it? “  I would want to be an Elephant because they are calm and peaceful. And also very loving”.  Everyone has weaknesses and challenges. What would you consider to be one of yours and how do you handle it? “ listening a weakness for me because you can say something to me and I would think about other things.”

 In conclusion i found out that Phonimani and I have a lot in common from interviewing her. 

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Interview with Ms. Parker

by Rhanique Killings

On this marvelous flurry Monday morning Ms. Parker sits legs crossed, patiently waiting for the interview to begin as her two toned hair shines in the gleamy light and the sunshine beams down on her beautiful hazel eyes.

I proceed to ask Ms. Parker “If you had unlimited funds to build a house that you would live in for the rest of your life, what would the finished house be like?  Walk me through; give me lots of details”.

Ms. Parker says “ The location would be extremely important and ideally, it would be next to the ocean with lots of glass fronting the sea. I only need a couple bedrooms with a small library, a fireplace, and a good sized living room to entertain friends with a well stocked contemporary kitchen. All the treasures that I collect from traveling would be the decorations of my house”. *with a big smile on her face*

I then ask “most people watch some television. What’s your favorite show and why?

Ms.Parker replies with her eyes lowering and a beam of excitement escaping her body, “I don’t own a television but I do watch shows on netflix. I like scandinavian mysteries. I like the atmosphere, like it’s very “stark” and “atmospheric”. Its a certain style that comes with it. The characters are internally complicated but they’re dialogue doesn’t reveal much about them”.

I then switch gears and asks Ms.Parker about her personal life interests. “Tell me about an interest of yours that makes life worth living”.

As Ms. Parker screws up her face as if she’s thinking long and hard, within a minute she replies “

Books. Reading is my greatest pleasure. It’s a place to escape, a place to relax and journey. I like that I can close a book whenever I feel like it, which gives me a sense of control. Also walks, I take lots of walks because they’re meditative. I can let my mind wander”.

She gave an example saying “I am so comfortable going outside and just being in nature. I don’t understand how kids are scared to go in the wilderness and enjoy the outside world but can walk the streets around violence and murder”.

I say “Maybe kids just aren’t used to being out in the wilderness. Things that people see on television such as bears attacking people or some other animal from the wilderness can scare people away”.

Ms.Parker replies “Im always in the wilderness and I’ve never been attacked by anything”, with a smirk on her face.

I reply “And just because people walk the streets where there is crime does not mean they are not scared but its life”.

I then asked Ms. Parker, “ Everyday we all have some little frustrations or irritations? How do you cope to make your day better? What are little things that can happen in your day to make it better?

Ms. Parker then gives feedback, “ A good cup of coffee, a pot of loose leaf tea, warm baths with lots of bubbles and if all else fills I’ll take a nap”.

“During the day how would you make it better”, asking for clarification.

“ Breathing, I take deep breaths and I try to remind myself that it will pass”, Ms. Parker says with a laugh.

Afterwards I said “ You get to travel any place in the world. Where would you go? What do you see and do”?

As a result Ms. Parker stated “Right now would be New Zealand, there is a hiking trail in the south island I want to take and I want to see the landscape and learn about the Maori culture”.

 Ms. Parker asks me if I know what haka is, I reply “no” and she proceeds to show me two videos, a weddings and a soccer game where men look angry, beating their chests, sticking their tongues out and shouting in a different language. It’s supposed to be a form of respect.

Last but not at least “ What was your college experience like”?

“It was a non- traditional experience. It took me six years because I had to put myself through a lot by choosing not to live at home. I had to work and pay as I went along. I loved the academics I couldn’t get enough and I finally met people I could talk to and have deep conversations. It fed me all the things I asked as a child. I worked very hard but it was extremely hard work because either I was in school or working. I didn’t owe any money when I graduated.. “

I think Ms. Parker enjoyed our time together.

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 Interview with Katie Haberberger

By Rae’iona Peterson

           

            This uncalculated, yet insightful interview took place on a shiny day after a storm. Katie Haberberger was such a delightful soul to grace upon. In this interview many questions were asked and all were answered with joyous emotion.. “Katie you’ve been at SOTA for several years now, How do you feel about the organization and management of the school? And why?” i asked. She beamed her brightest smile, showing as if she was enthusiastic and ready to answer my question. Katie with a laugh replied,  “Um, some of the teachers aren’t really organized, some are, but in my time here at SOTA, things are going to be mess sometimes, and I’ve noticed the longer you’ve been in SOTA, the more you’ve seen the organization go down. It could be alot better.” she continues to go on about the non-organization of some particular teachers.

There was one more question about her SOTA life to which she replied saying, “I hope to pursue a job in Visual Arts, i feel like i was pressured to go into art and I haven’t had enough time to explore more.” In a way i connected with her on this because I know how he feels. “Reflect over the last ten years, in what ways do you see your views of the world having changed?” i asked. She responds very quickly, “My views have become more political. The world is messed up, the older you get the more you seem to understand what’s going on around you.” she said with such sorrow. I proceeded to my next question very intrigued, “Tell me about someone who has a significant impact on you, and why?”. She sprung up in excitement to my question saying, “ Anybody?, I would say Mr, Latorre, because between art and life advice he put a lot of thought into his career, i've learned a lot, He’s been out for a while” she said with such admiration and sadness. Her eyes twinkled while speaking so highly of him.

As we headed towards the end of our interview we spoke more about her life rather than school life, this is where I learned more about the real Katie Haberberger. “So imagine your life in ten years down the road, Describe to me your typical weekday?”. Without hesitation she responded, “Oh boy, Monday’s will be hard i can't wake up. My weekdays consist of a 9-5 job, rest of time will be spent looking for thing that draw my eye to take pictures of, also traveling during my week to get out. Saturday and Sunday are my shill days, i relax those days.” she said. “I feel you Katie Mondays aren't for me either”. My final question “Everyone has difficult days. What strategy do you use to handle challenging times?” To which sh replied very honestly, “i dont cope with things very well, but i can say i do draw or listen to music when going through things. Sometimes i'll try to get away and focus”. This is the side of her i haven't seen all interview her vulnerable side, she is letting out her true self. I replied saying , “ Its ok we don't all have very set strict ways to overcome challenges, it all depends on us and how we are with it.” As i took one last glance at Katie before shaking her hand, her smile lit up her Srayish  blue eyes and her steel nose ring, made he glasses shine. I thanked Katie for her time and we parted ways destined to meet again.

           

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 Interview with Semaj

By Juliana Bermudez

            Rochester, on a rare sunny winter day, yearning for the this monotonous Friday afternoon in school to end. I sat with Semaj in Ms. Aspenleiter’s office where the air was warm and humid. His chocolate brown eyes glared at me as the light of the room reflected off of them. The white of his sweater complimented his brown skin beautifully. Before the interview began he fixed his posture and directed his attention towards me. He looked at me and we both laughed awkwardly due to the setting we were in. Not knowing much about Semaj made me very curious as he has a very outgoing personality.  In observing Semaj’s outer personality, I noticed he laughs all the time, but I wanted to get into the emotional version of him, going past his humorous outer layer and delving into his ‘soft’ side.

Being an eighteen year old must bring about many thoughts about the future. Knowing Semaj is also a senior in highschool I predetermined that he must’ve been under a lot of stress with applying to colleges. “I want to be a teacher or nurse” he says when I asked what his future plans were. He says he’s trying his best in school and showcasing his abilities in extra curricular activities. “I was accepted into Buffalo State University but, it has always been my fall back school. I want to go to the University of Buffalo because I believe it’ll be much more challenging and would display my abilities better” he says while losing direct eye contact in a way of concentration. He believes education is important for him to continue the life he wants to live.

“My choice of career is based around helping people. My reasoning for wanting to be a teacher is because education can help people grow to be the best they can be. I’ve always been a nurturer so that’s my reasoning to want to become a nurse. I feel like teaching is best for me because i can give info off well and am good at public speaking. I want to help people, help them do better and be better.”

           

Semaj’s mother was in the hospital when he was young and she was very sick. He says “wanting her to get better but not being able to help her get better made me realize that I did want to become a nurse” as he sighed and looked away. Knowing this part of his life was so sentimental his sigh put an emphasis on the emotion he had. I asked him if there were any events in his past that lead him to want to become a teacher and he said “one of my teachers told me to teach the class for him and I really enjoyed it, teachers tell me that I could be a really good teacher.”

At this point the interview took a humorous turn, we began to laugh at jokes about teaching small children and the stress it brings. I then asked where he sees himself in ten years, he replied with “out of rochester”, then let out a loud chuckle. The truth about his statement showed his eagerness to leave this cold and bipolar weather. He sees himself with a family and a career. I wanted him to reflect on his past so in asking him if he would’ve seen himself where he is now enlightened me on the vast difference between his past and his present. “No not at all, ten years ago I didn’t see myself at sota. I thought I would’ve been a superstar, but look at me now; I want to be a teacher.”

As the interview came to end the room became less humid and more welcoming. I felt as though knowing more of Semaj showed me his different personality traits and characteristics that make him the person he is.

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 Interview with Abigail LoTemple

By Coralys Torres

It was a warm day, my birthday to be exact. We were both tired after the unexpected break from school, eyes long and “grey-ish”. Abigail twisted her small fingers as she was unsure what to expect from my questions, wondering if they were maybe too personal. I could tell she was anxious. She wore a bright cherry red sweater, and on her wrist was a matching hair tie. Her hair was down and flowing. She had no makeup, but her cheeks were a soft red, as they always are. We made some small talk, and laughed a bit.

I began by asking her: “Not everyone shares the same belief system. What is one belief, other than religion, you have that others may not be accustomed to?”

She took a minute, and thought about it. Almost questioning what she really believed, and finally said: “Aliens and ghost. The Supernatural. I think a lot of people believe in. My grandma told me when I was younger her mom died, but when I was younger, I used to point her out and say she used to talk to me”

She looked at me and laughed a little, maybe feeling silly about what she said, or feeling that I wouldn’t believe her. I made a connection to the occurrence, and her face was almost relieved. Curiously, I asked about other occurrences. I then continued.  “ Everyone has dreams, could you share with me one of yours and how you plan to achieve it?”

She was quick to answer. Almost as if she knew the question was coming. She had a sense of hope in her voice. “One of my biggest dreams is to become a psychiatrist.” She paused for a minute..“ I want to help people with their mental state. I see a lot of people suffer from things and I’m interested in learning about the mind.”

She then proceeded to tell me about different parts of the mind, and made connection to the real world. She seemed out of it. Too intrigued to finish the question. It was like a whole different Abby. I then Asked, “How do you plan to achieve it?”“ I’ve been working really hard in my studies and plan on going to college for phycology at Brockport. “

I congratulated her on her hard work, and proceeded to apologize for the following question. 

“ Death is inevitable. Imagine that you  were to die tomorrow, what would be the last few things you’d do? Why do choose these?” She looked sad for a moment. The joy she had from talking about her future goals suddenly vanished. She looked down at her feet which were tapping on the floor rapidly.

“I probably would call my loved ones, remind them that I love them.” She smiled just a bit, as of thinking of those whom she cared about most. “ I’d Spend time with the people I care about the most. I want to achieve pure happiness, and be remembered for being the good person I am and the work I end up doing. I would like to help anyone, adults, kids. Anyone really. “

She seemed so proud. Looking at me and then looking away quickly as though not to be too happy. The next questions flew by very quickly. “ You have been given the opportunity to share some life wisdom. Even though you are still have many years to go, what message at this time would you like to share with future generations? “To the future generations, I would just want to say, don’t get caught up in stuff when you’re young because it won’t matter in the long run, you’re too young.”She repeated that line over and over. “You’re Too Young”, as of thinking of a time she endured. “It’s too much drama, although we can’t help it. Yes, i’ve been caught up in situations where it didn’t matter in the long run. I’ve helped someone who was really depressed and I made sure they had someone to talk to and I was there for them checking up on them, making sure they’re ok.”

“ If you could have godly powers for a day, What would you do? Would you change anything?” She seemed almost embarrassed to answer the question. Not knowing what to answer. Maybe even Thinking it was too cliché. “If I had godly powers, I would probably cure some diseases like cancer and HIV. ”She thought for a minute. “I think disease wise cancer is pretty tough. I’d use it for my own benefit, and treat myself, go shopping, eat out, and send money, get my nails done. If I could change anything in the world, i’d ask for world peace.”

We laughed, and talked about shopping for a bit. Talked about what either of us would buy.

I then told her it was my final question. She seemed anxious. Her legs shaking and fingers still twirling around with her red hair tie. “ We all experience fears and challenges, What is your biggest fear, and what instance created that fear and how do you confront this?” “My biggest fear is not succeeding in my dreams and getting what I want. The way this came about is because my dad thought he was a failure, and it pushed onto me in a way, and it made me think that i didn't want to be a failure. I don’t think ill ever get over it, i’d just have to deal with it. I don’t know exactly how, but I am hopeful that eventually get rid of this fear. “

She seemed thoughtful. Alost excited. I was so calm, and in peace, because me and Abby had been friends for a while, but I never really got a chance to sit and get to know her. We looked at each other, laughed a bit, and both in unison said, “Wow… That was really good!”

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Interview with Andrew Walden

By Anna Perez

   On Monday, February 4th I conducted an interview in journalism class with Andrew. He seemed nervous, not really confident in doing this. The first question I asked was what his ethnicity was, and how his cultural heritage impacted his life. Andrew responded by saying “ I don’t know much. I know I have some Jamaican, Mexican and Irish in me.” Unsurely he added “ My heritage hasn’t impacted most of my life so far”. He fidgeted as if he was nervous that he had nothing else to add on.

 Next I threw the scenario of him meeting his grandfather’s grandfather at him and asked what does he think his life would be like. He said “ I don’t know who my grandfather’s grandfather is, I would assume my grandfather’s side would have been in Jamaica”. He added on shortly after  “ which would be not good.”

 Next I asked a question that has been on a a lot of people’s minds; How is he handling the stress of senior year and what is his plans for the future. He said “ So far I’m doing the best I can to pass whatever classes I have left” answering my question about senior stress. Then he finished answering my question by replying confidently this time. “I’m definitely going to take the next year off to figure out what I want to do cause I don’t know yet.”

 Continuing on I asked something about the future. I asked him to imagine he was 25 and describe his typical day to me. He sort of hesitated as if he had never thought that far about his life. “A typical day for me would probably be going to whatever job I have then coming home and relaxing.” He said that as if to relax is what he has been longing for.

Another futuristic question I asked was what his dream house would be like. In his answer I was looking for details such as the size, how he would set it up, or if he would have any pets. Andrew replied “ I’d want a moderately small house, I don’t like a lot of space.” After thinking for a minute he threw in “I’d like to have a house with a driveway also… somewhere north so I don’t have to deal with extreme heat.” When I asked again about pets he said “I don’t think I want any pet” and chuckled.

Lastly, my final question was something everyone craves. I asked him if he had an all paid expense trip to anywhere in the world, where would he go. He told me this question was a tough one for him. “ Um I would probably visit Canada , Britain or Japan. To get more information I asked him what he would do there or why he chose those places. “I’d like to try their foods and just see what it’s like being there.” he retorted. I concluded the interview and Andrew seemed relieved of pressure, got up quickly to go to his seat. I really enjoyed my talk with him and getting to know him.

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 Interview with Graham

By: Malikya Russell

It was a cold Friday afternoon in Journalism class. The reflection of Graham’s shirt caught my attention when he walked past. The spankle in his glasses made me nervous because I knew I was going to make a fool of myself asking him my interview questions. When he approached me and sat down my heart began racing and sweat began to drip down my face. I felt like I was going to die. I was afraid of stuttering. I began to ask him my first question but before Graham answered my first question, Graham shrugged his eyebrows and                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          bit his lip as if confusion surfaced the area. Graham immediately requested that I repeat the question a second time because he didn’t fully understand the question the first time I asked him aloud. Wiping his hand across his lip three times and using hand movements to speak showed that he was very confident and relaxed with the answers he was providing. Graham didn’t just give      short responses, he answered every question in depth.

Graham connected his personal life to the first question. Graham brought up a situation that occurred on his tennis team because he is the coach for younger individuals. Graham explained to me how he dealt with certain situations that took place among these younger individuals. After hearing Graham’s strength and weaknesses his ultimate message was to, “keep a level head before things go south”. This essentially means keep the others distracted at all times when something goes wrong.  Graham doesn’t want everyone to become crazy and act out when one is hurt. Always have a back up plan because you never know what’s going to happen on the tennis court.

Throughout Graham’s interview I noticed that he tapped his pen, touched his face and rubbed his ear once every question I asked. He also, took a break when I asked him what kind of music does he enjoy and why? Graham says, “ohh” and began naming famous individuals that he enjoys listening to. Graham was so excited that we were on the topic of inspirational individuals that he immediately pulled out his phone and looked at his playlist with a smile on his face that brighten the classroom. I never saw Grahams smile so hard in my life when it came to talking about the people he inspires  and looks up to. Stevie Wonder, Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye has motivated him so much that he decided to “join jazz band in 8th grade”. Graham was so dedicated and musical that he learned how to play the bass in less than a year. Although, Graham wasn’t a instrumental music major at School of the Arts, joining jazz band wasn’t mandatory because he was a Theatre Tech Major. Joining jazz band  was a extracurricular  and he made it work. “It is what it is” was his final words with a smile on face.

I enjoyed having our conversation.

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 Interview with Rae’iona

By Katie Haberberger

It was a Friday morning, we had returned from an unexpected break; two days off because of the cold weather, a well needed break for most. Many classmates took the day off, for most it was because the cold.

Rae’ona invited me to sit in the dark corner of the classroom where she normally works. She wore her green coat and her hair in a single puff. Her excitement to start giving and answering questions was noticeable through her smile and laugh.

I started with my first question, “The end of high school looms. What have you planned for yourself and what have you done to make it a reality?”

Rae answered with confidence, “What I’ve planned for myself, now that I’m a senior I plan to go on into college, I mean, I’ve gotten two college acceptance letters already, one scholarship… I’m very persistent in going somewhere like where I would fit in,” she had her future planned out and hoped to make the best of it.

Continuing with the next question, “Your art major has played an important role during high school, how will this continue in your life after your graduate?”, I had noticed the sun reflecting off of Rae’s face and her large glasses as the light peered from the window, a ray of light on a cold winter’s day.

Rae answered with her skills, “When I was in 8th grade, 7th grade I knew I wanted to come here, school of the arts and when I came here it wasn’t exactly like that… I started to move my passion, I started to not like art a lot and you have to pass some classes. I don’t want to continue it as much but what I do want to big on is writing. I definitely think I’ll continue it as a hobby”, she spoke with an certainly as she spoke about herself as an artist and her changing views on art as something she once loved to now an almost forced curriculum.

“Imagine yourself ten years down the road, describe a typical day in your life.” I asked as Rae snuggled further into her dark green coat, it was easy to see the impact of the temperature as she huddled for warmth.

“For me one day would be, I don’t want to take classes in the morning, not taking classes in the morning. I’d probably wake up, drink tea- I’d chill and eat food. I’d probably actually wake up. I’d be in a new state… I’d be able to explore in the morning and go to school in the afternoon. I’d also have a job in the morning” , Talking about her future made her excited yet also tense as the future is unknown, she seemed happy to continue on with her life and looked forward towards something new.

I asked a more luxurious question, “You get to travel anywhere on the planet. Where do you wish to go and why? See what?” this was used to lighten the mood, relieve the tension from the focus on her future.

“I don’t want to be in the United States! I want to go somewhere not extravagant but like secluded like Barbados or the islands near Barbados” We laughed about how relaxing it is to be away from people as well as how it would be nice to escape the U.S, it was an enjoyable question and Rae’ona’s smile reflected this. Her gestures became a hidden language as they helped understand Rae’s answer.

Returning to a more serious frame I asked, “Discuss one of your personal strengths and how it has impacted your life in various ways,” As Rae snuggled closer into her green coat, she gave a moment to think on her answer.

Her long awaited response was framed around her charismatic personality, “My personal strength is being funny and being very smooth-talking, I’m not very scared to go up to someone and talk. I’m not scared of being closed off because when your closed off you don’t meet certain people your intended to meet,” her strength was reflected within the roots of the whole interview, her laughs and jokes made her abilities clear and her smiles elaborated on her skills. She used hand gestures as she talked.

And lastly I asked, “Discuss someone, either a personal acquaintance or someone literary or artistic who has impacted your life. In what way have they done this?” after clarifying the question I saw her face light up while she looked past on her life and all her experiences.

“There was this teacher and he was a boy, he was by best teacher in English and he was different, he looked like a motorcycle rider. He stood out to me because he could have all that- tattoos and ride a motorcycle to school. He was different” As she answered in a lighthearted way I noticed Trumain’s face behind her as he laughed about this teacher. Her humorous response certainly made me laugh as we continued to talk about his age, his television appearance and if he changed since she had this teacher.

With a final joke we said our goodbyes as I walked back to my seat before the bell rang.

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 Interview with Asher

By: Amanda Sandberg Fætten

On an exceptionally warm afternoon in early January, Asher sat down in the hallway on the hard floor with a smile around his face,  as always. With a little sense on uncomfortably with my iPhone camera towards his face, he gave me a little thump up with a short laugh and said, “Okey, I'm ready”, and I felt a vibe of optimism in the hallway, which was strengthened by the bright sunlight from the weather outside.

I started by asking him the question: “Now that we are halfway through this school year, and your graduation day is closer than ever, what is you best memory from your years at School of the Arts?”. A little overwhelmed by the thought of his long career at School of the Arts, he took his time and looked out in the room with a reflective face. To help him out a little, I asked the follow up question: “Step back in time, and imagine a good memory from your experience here. What do you see?”. I saw that a memory appeared in his face, and he got excited to tell me about a day 5 years ago. He told me about “Coffee House”. “It's a time where we Creative Writing Majors come together to do our writing in the theater here at school, and we present it all and everything.”

 As he told YOU ARE HERE me about how nervous he was to present his work to his fellow majors and their parents, I notice a tense of nervous as he is sitting in front of me 5 years after, as if he went back into the body and situation of his 14 year old self. It was the beginning of the year, and his parents were not there with him, which made him feel even more nervous, because he felt that he didn't have anyone there to grab on to. Luckily, his friends were sharing for him, especially his friends Raina, Dominick and Keneil, and so did he in return. Asher describes how he went up on stage and read his two stories “Absolutely Nothing” and “A dreamcatcher’s nightmare”, and after his six minutes of performance, everyone was completely silent. He takes a look at me as he say the word silence, and I feel like I am there with him, being one of them in the audience who were so very silent. As a perfect symbol of the silence he described, there is a few seconds of silence in the hallway before he goes on. “I got a really big applause, and people came up to me and told me that they liked my story. It was just a very big moment for me”. He tells me about his older sister, a very good student, and how he felt a pressure of doing good at school. Therefore, with the feeling of good self confident and the performance going so well, despite his nervousness  it is a good memory for Asher, and a moment he will remember for a long time.

Curious of his view of the school, I ask him “Do you feel that this experience shows the environment of this school? Is this vibe of encouraging you classmates and complimenting each others work, what the school represent?”. He confirms this and as he points out how the teachers is important for this quality, his face turns to the left part of the hallway, and sees his previous teacher Miss. Caint. He smiles and with a higher voice, to make sure she hears him, he compliments her on her teaching skills.

His smiles fills his body and his appreciation for his teachers is shining through.

I found myself interested in the relationships with his friends during this experience, and how they were encouraging each other in place of feeling a form of competition between each other. I want to know more about his friendships at school, and ask him “Do you think that the fact that every student at this school has a major, makes it easier to make friends?”. It doesn't take him long to answer that it is definitely easier to make friends when you have something in common with somebody, and being a part of a major community is a great opportunity to find friends that are similar to yourself. “It is a conversation starter.” he explains, using his arms as gesturing his point. I am surprised when he tells me about a previous school newspaper article that used to write about stereotypes of the different majors. His face lights up when I joke about the idea of how the two of us should start producing the newspaper again, where he could take pictures and produce it, and I can write the articles. It strengthens the light and humorous vibe in the hallway, and I can hear the echo of our laughs in the sunfull hallway.

With a wish of going deeper in to his past, I ask him about a quality he has, that has helped him out of difficult situations, where he has felt lost. It doesn't seem like he understands the question, but after I explain what I mean, and a few seconds of pondering, he says “I try my best to humble myself. That is the sentiment I share, it was a good conversation.

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 Interview With Brandon Watson

By Jotham Denegal

Despite attending the same school with Brandon for almost six years I’ve never had a chance to have a conversation with, and honestly if it weren't for me being assigned this project I would’ve went all of high school without talking to my fellow classmate. A day after a storm that left us out of school for 2 days, and the class having half as many people as usual Brandon answered questions dealing with every aspect of life, both mental, physical, and spiritual.

Similar to like my questions followed a chronological pattern, with the first one being “Go back to a favorite time in your childhood. Describe the day. Person? People? Words? Setting?”. I was expecting his memory to be about his first time riding a bike, or his favorite Christmas, but with his blue jacket on ;zipped to the very top, and with a smug grin on his face he softly said “my childhood was good”, that’s it, with the smirk on his face and his answer with little to no details makes it seem like he’s hiding something special. Something that would let the audience really get to know Brandon on a deeper level. So on the next question I made it a point to try and get him to open up a little more about topics with more follow up question.

 “We are all raised with a belief system, Tell me about i time when your beliefs were in question, what did you do?”, and with the same hoodie on his head, and the same smug look he gave me a similar answer.”there were times when I felt down because of the color of my skin” which again doesn’t give the audience to much inside into his life and his past experiences, but this time I asked a follow up question to try and dive deeper into the question “Explain”, but for this question there wasn’t a deeper explanation , or a specific event that took place just a collection of small events that made him feel this way overall.

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Interview with Ja’Miah Smith

By Giancarlo Mendez

This is where you will begin to know the lovely Ja’Miah Smith, as we start off with our first question of, “Imagine your life ten years from now. What would a typical weekday be like?” she seems very tense but quickly responds with “most likely out shooting a movie or writing a screen movie. Hopefully with my hubby or wife, doesn't really matter, I’m the universal type”. She describes herself off edge and hippy like, which leads us onto the next question of, “If your life was a novel, what would be the title and how would your story end?” She slowly drinks her water, taking a while to answer. She wanted it to be the perfect title with the right ring to it, and decided upon “becoming”. She refers to Michelle Obama and says her story would end like “showing growth and prosperity. Everyone has dark times but attracts light somehow and I would share my moments”. Speaking of dark times the next question revealed that Ja’Miah was very familiar with the sense of depression, “Everyone has those down days. When you have one, how do you pull yourself up?” She made a small giggle and gave us the answer we were looking for, “Either sleep, write music, sing, or just write things down like a diary. Especially writing, it helps me the most, expressing things verbally and not through actions is better for me, call me a paper writing person instead. You’re in control of own happiness, control your happiness and how things affect you. Live life, don't stay locked in”. Agreed, your here for a good time not a long time. Moving forward from the deep talk, curiosity of strengths grew within the interview, “Tell me about one of your strengths and when it served you well.”. Immediately Ja’Miah had an answer without a doubt and it was powerful, “wisdom, not only book smart, but just intelligence with life in general. I always think before doing and I got a few tricks up my sleeve with shortcuts to life. Let’s not forget early graduate and an amazing amount of acceptances to colleges! I make the best decisions based upon myself”. Our interview was coming to an end and this question was inevitable to be asked, “Every day we hear news about how humans are destroying the planet, To what extent is this true and what would you change?”. Ja’Miah cracking a small joke with a response of, “Humans destroy, of course. This can include pollution, greed, social standard, crime, and too much POWER! Humans run the world but not the right way”. With that being said, the interview was a great way to get to know Ja’Miah more, a girl whose quiet most of the time with a widespread of views.

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Interview with Trumaine Mack

By: Trinity Cotton

“Wow there so many it’s kinda hard to choose… well there was this time my cousin was at my house and he came running into my room to hide from his mom and then she came and she whooped him so bad” He laughs and then continues to say “ I always remind him of that whenever I see him… that is a time I’ll definitely never forget.” He answered this with a wide and bright smile, one that would become quite frequent throughout the rest of the interview. I asked Trumaine what was one of his favorite or just most memorable childhood memories and he looked as if he genuinely had so many it was difficult to choose. As I wrote down his responses and turned back and forth from him to the computer, I kept glancing out of the window at how the sun was hitting the snow making it shine and melt at the same time. I took a second to get my wording together for this next question, which was “What was the most impactful lesson you’ve learned from K-12?” Immediately he responded “Being a good person, someone who is conscious of how I interact with people, just being aware of who I’m around and learning to deal with all kinds of people.” As I went to say something next he adds in “ Oh and respect!” We both laughed and agreed that was definitely a big lesson in both of our high school experiences. “ So 5 year plans, you got any” I asked in a more casual, nonchalant manner and he responded with a sort of obviousness to his answer “ well I wanna go to college (cortland)-” I cut him off to find out what he was majoring in and yet again he surprised me with “Undecided” and he had a really good explanation as for why. He goes on to say “ I don’t wanna choose a major right away just to decide that I actually don’t like it, so I’m just gonna go for my first year so I can get a feel for what I like and I don’t like and then make a decision.” This was such a logical and well put together answer, I also think it would be great advice to someone who wasn’t sure about what they wanted to major in right away. I keep looking at the clock to keep time as I’m recording his answers. I think his answer to the next question was the best“ I can take a joke, like I don’t really take things too seriously…” I had asked Trumaine to give me one of his favorite attributes about himself, to my surprise he explained how even when people make jokes that may be somewhat offensive he tries to keep a light heart and a good sense of humor to best deal with those uncomfortable situations. That seemed to be a very mature way of handling it considering how sensitive our culture has became to certain topics or certain viewpoints regarding said topics. Often times people use the saying “if you see something say something” I wanted to know if Trumaine thought that was an accurate rule so I asked him “ Do you feel responsible for those around you?” He answered with caution and said “it depends on the person” I laughed but I definitely understood. He went on to say “ like if I know the person and it’s someone who I know can stick up for themselves, then I probably would just let them handle it, but if it was someone I knew wouldn’t I probably confront the person but I would just try to be comforting and encouraging.” I smiled because I thought that was such a sweet answer. The last and final question was “ How do you feel about your overall experience at SOTA?” He replied “ I don’t really like it here” We both laugh. He continued “I guess I’m just worn out you know, just ready for college something new and something different.” I couldn’t have agreed more. I shook his hand and thanked him for the interview.

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 Interview with Joe Visconte

By Maricarla Diaz Almeida

I met up with Joe in class afternoon. He was wearing an orange sweater he bought from his school. He wore glasses like me and from what I could tell he likes bright colors. When I ask him, “We all have fears. Can you describe one to me and how you handle it?” he replied fast and quick with, “I stay away from things like that.” He was very straight forward with his answer when I asked him my question about how he acted with himself in a new environment. He was extrovert and very ambitious. I asked him where he would like to travel. He thought about the question before answering, “Italy.” He wanted to visit the museums there and eat their pizza. “Rome and Sicily are where I would specifically would like to go to,” I asked him about religion and if The Pledge of Allegiance should be an obligation to do since most teachers in elementary school force the students to stand up during the pledge even though they don’t want to. He thought for a minute as he cleaned his glasses before speaking, “They shouldn’t take the God part out of the pledge but they shouldn’t force it upon those who don’t want to.”

I knew this question was a sensitive topic. School shootings aren’t something to be taken lightly but he took the question in stride as he did with the others. “I don’t blame video games.  My blame leans towards the parents and also the kids could have actual mental problems nobody ever noticed! I don’t get scared easily but school shootings aren’t a joke and shouldn’t happen at all.” He took a deep breath, “You got me on this one.” I offered to educate him more on the topic which he took me on. I told him about the wall, drug dealers, how America invited Mexicans to come work in factories during WWII and Mexico's struggles. He then started a conversation with me feeling a bit more confident on the subject. “I think everyone should be equal and treated as so.” I agreed with this but with Trump in office that was never going to happen. He was very direct, polite and always was very honest with his answer, I could tell by the look in his eyes. We shook hands and we went our ways as we lived our lives for the rest of the day.

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 Interview with Maricarla

By Joseph Visconte

 I met up with Carla on a Friday afternoon. Outside it was sunny and cold. This was our first conversation together. She likes jewelry I can see. She’s wearing two necklaces, one with a wolf arrowhead, the other a wide-eyed skull. I noticed her nails were long and pointy, “unless they break,” she told me. Although she never had a job, she shared that she was president of GSA, which is the Gay Straight Alliance, and the year before she was secretary. “I handled all the paperwork gladly,” she said gladly. This year she had too much going on to keep it up. The next question I had for Carla was about her plans for after graduation. She clapped her hands at that. “I have gotten into three colleges so far: JWU, Northern Vermont University and the third I chose, St. John’s University in Queens.”  Her interests include wanting to be a lawyer and her undergraduate degree will be followed by three year in law school. I thought her amazing.

I asked Carla then to tell me about a perfect day for her. I wanted lots of details. “A day would be in Cuba.” She continued, that she would be in a restaurant and meeting her niece for the “first time ever.” I wondered how come she had never met her before. Carla rubbed her temples stressfully, as she explained about her father.  She has family in Cienfuegos, whom she has only spoken with over the phone.

 When I asked her about what stressed her out over her high school career, she shared it “was getting to class on time.” I suggested that she should find alternate routes.” She said she did, but people thought she was rude, because she didn’t talk in the hallway. She noted how “these little kids walk so slow!”

  When asked  how she would decorate her room, she chose black and “dark emerald green.” “Bright colors give her a headache.” In fact, her mother calls her a vampire, because she likes to sleep all day. My last question involved music. She immediately told me her answer would be long. Although it depended upon her mood, she likes old rock and alternative metal, like “Metallica”, AC/DC and Guns and Roses. She like it because it speaks to her more than modern music.  Clearly, Carla is one interesting person. I thanked her for her time.

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 Interview with Tessa Meyer

By Dakota Lane

Although I’ve only known Tessa since the beginning of senior year, when she happened to take Journalism with me. It was finally in February when I was assigned to interview her that we had a more in-depth conversation. The interview took place on February 1st, 2019 in Rochester, NY the weather outside was cold and gloomy. Tessa was wearing Victoria Secret leggings, a North Face jacket and her favorite 24k franco chain.

The first question I asked Tessa was “Everyone thinks that they have strengths and weaknesses. Share with me one of your strengths and how you have used this in your life..” she responded back to that question with a tone of voice that was calm and smooth explaining to me that her strength is being very personal and honest. She went into a deeper explanation after telling me she's very honest by saying “she thinks she has the ability to talk her way out of trouble and to persuade people to get her way and convince people to like her based on the way she speaks to people.”

Once the conversation developed more throughout us talking I briefly asked Tessa a interesting question which was “If you could pick any superpower what would it be and why?” she replied with “If I could pick any superpower it would be to hear what people are thinking so I could pop off on them quickly if they were speaking about me.” This response shows her character and the type of mindset she has developed. Tessa’s character to me while interviewing her is very mindful, creative, and enthusiastic human being. She can come off at first as very full of herself but once you get to know Meyers she is a sweet, mysterious 18 year old girl and she knows how to keep a conversation going which is a good trait to have for future references.

The conversation grew stronger within 5 minutes through I got to see a different side of Tessa, her body language was different her tone on how she explained certain things to me. When I asked Meyers a more personal question about family, asking “Think back to a warm memory from your childhood. Describe the time, include as many details as you can recall. What do you see? Feel?” she retorted with a pause and a facial expression I never adapted to see before thinking back to a good memory when she was younger. The memory she explained to me was “when she was at the beach in New Jersey because she’s Italian” she explains how is was such a nice day with her brother they were sitting on the beach her grandfather bought them down lunch she tells me how she’s around 6 years old. 

I so enjoyed learning more about Tessa.

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                                       Interview with Rey Caez

                                                             By Ryan Simonton

                   It was a record breakingly warm and quiet monday morning, the sun was shining and a light wind blew gently in the slightly opened windows. “Tell me about some of your  goals in life and what steps you have taken so far to achieve them and how you will continue to do so?” I asked. It took a few moments for Rey to respond for he was in deep thought as well as seemingly slightly uncomfortable, but after a few moments he responded “Well I want  to become an actor, you know act in broadway or movies; I mean I love acting which is why I came to sota” He said confidently “I’m hoping to save up enough money to move to New York to be closer to what I want to do.”.

                   Satisfied with his response, Rey relaxes a slight bit, although still a little uncomfortable. “Everyone one has fears”, I continued, “what is one of yours and how do you handle it?”. “ Well I have two. Something less serious that I’m scared of is spiders, whenever I see one I yell for my mom to come and kill it, they have eight eyes right, and eight legs? Yeah not a fan.” Rey shivers just thinking about the spiders and stiffens up like he’s staring directly at one, although he suddenly gets more serious and with a slight pause he goes on to say “... But seriously, I fear being alone. I’m scared of going through life alone and i don’t want to go through my success alone; I want to share my story with someone special, you know not necessarily a boyfriend, but like, a good friend I can trust and share my struggles with”. After this response Rey has a dark look on his face, then i say “i feel the same, i’m scared of ending up alone with no one in my life to rely on” after I say this, Rey’s, expression softens a little and he becomes a little less closed up.

                  “Now that you have been at SOTA for several years”, I asked, “how have your expectations for the school lived up to what you thought it would be like? What might have been different?”. Rey chuckles “So a lot of people thought that this school would be like highschool musical right; I thought it would be more like the Show Victorious”, a show comedy show about students at an art school, “I had large expectations for the school when I first auditioned, boy was I wrong. I've had many dark times here and acting has gotten me through it. I used to be a bad speaker but Mrs. Dewey, god rest her soul, helped me get through it and get better. I also used to be really shy but drama got me through it” Rey was put into a state of deep thought after this, I don’t know what it was but he was smiling so it must of been good thoughts.

                      After a short silence I continued with my questioning “ Imagine yourself ten years down the road. Describe to me a typical day.” all Rey could say to the broad question at first was   “Uhm” but after a second, Rey had figured it all out. At this point Rey was much more relaxed and more at ease than at the start. “Ok”, he said excitedly, “I would wake up in my apartment in brooklyn, today is a big day because it is friday is full of shows, a matinee and a night show. I would eat breakfast and feed my pet husky pepsi”, he is extra excited about this because he loves huskies, “... i’d be out by nine; i’m in Hamilton as either John Laurens or Philip Hamilton. When i get to theatre I meet up with my cast members, practice, and get ready do the matine. Before the show starts I do my warm ups to pump myself up and get excited for the performance. We do the matinee and it goes perfectly. After the great show me and my cast members go out to lunch and get ready to do the night show, I’ve gotta be really amazing for that one. after that show also goes over amazing, I go to the club with my friends and cast members.” throughout this response, Rey is using his hands to describe what he’s saying and to emphasize its importance and his excitement even further; This excitement spreads out after the response.

           “Share with me”, I asked, “someone who you feel has been a significant inspiration in your life. Why is that so?” Rey thinks for a moment a little excited but still is very open about my question and his response. I have an inspiration in my personal life and in my acting. my mother is my inspiration in life, she was a teen mom to my sister so she understands what i’m going through, she gives me rules for life like in order to get the reward you have to work for it. She's the boss; she knows what's best for me and does what's best for my family.”, Rey looks off into the distance , “ My inspiration for my acting is Lin-Manuel Miranda. He’s made two broadway best shows and got a lot of awards. Lin-Manuel is also Puerto Rican so I can connect to him there. He’s always smiling and that is a lot like me too. He also uses the musicals he creates to connect to people from any background or culture” this final comment puts a glint in his eyes as the bell rings, time sure does fly. 

                   

The final Question of the interview is “Where is your mental and physical safespace; why ?” and while sick at home he replies “I would have to say the comfort of my own room. It’s where I think the most and where I just have that privacy to myself. No one is around be so I don’t have to be bothered because most of the day I’m around people. Lately I’ve been having this social anxiety where if I’m around too many people I start to get nervous. It’s weird because I don’t get that when I’m on stage but I do when it’s passing time. But being in my room helps me relax and

makes me not worry about my problems. Sadly Rey was sick for this one, but i could understand his struggles and feelings perfectly.

 .

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 Interview with Niccolo

By Andrea Ramos

It was a cold, Friday morning; a great day to stay home wrapped up in blankets. That was the day I met with Niccolo. Before this, we have never had a formal conversation. We laughed and joked around as if we already knew each other. It was a bit loud, but quiet enough for me to hear him talk. 

I began with a simple question, “What is a memory you admire?” He took a minute to think, looking into the distance. “One of my favorite memories was when I met my best friend, Virginia. I met her in middle school about 5 years ago. I remember, I sat in front of her in class. One day I turned around and started to have a conversation with her,” he said as he moved his hands with the rhythm of his speech. “That’s pretty much how our friendship started. She is like a sister to me. We always support each other and she is always there for me, even on my tough days.”

Niccolo began to tell stories about things that have happened to them and how they have many things in common. As he spoke, his lively tone flowed with his words.

At first sight you wouldn’t think of him as a singer, but in reality that is something he is interested in. “I’m trying to get more into singing,” Niccolo said with a slight smile, then it faded away. “I remember when someone came up to me and told me I wasn’t good enough. When they said that, I felt discouraged and didn’t want to sing again. Then some of my friends started to bring up the topic of singing, which motivated me to start again. I want to start singing with my best friend and one other friend. They were the ones that helped me start again.” When he speaks about his friends, his smile and joyous voice comes back.

That is not all he is interested in. Niccolo is also drawn to learning new languages like Spanish and Japanese. He wants to pursue his ideal job. “Learning new languages would be great for my dream job. I want to work with people. I would love to be someone like a tourist guide or someone that can help people with choosing a place to go visit,” he said with enthusiasm and energy.

Dreaming about a future job is easy, but the process to get there is not as simple. No one is a fan of school, but some new knowledge was brought upon my attention. “We spend 13 in school. Well, in Italy we don’t have the same school system as America. In Italy, we have 5 years of high school instead of 4 years,” he isn’t too happy about this. “School over where I lived, there is no dress code and they aren’t strict like they are here. The teachers over there don’t really teach, but the teachers here do and I like how they help the students when they need help. I don’t see school as a bad thing though because it is good for preparing us for the future.”

Someone he knows and loves has already went through the school process, a person who he looks up, his father. Niccolo looks at his father as a role model. He said that he would love to be like his dad someday. We wants to like his job and be there for his kids like his father is. “I think he is perfect.”

He describe himself in three words. Niccolo thought about it for a few minutes. He was not sure how to describe himself. Then he began talking. “I could say I’m caring. I care a lot about my friends, even if we haven’t known each other for a long time. I am here for them when they’re going through a hard time.” As so, he went onto the next two. “I am funny. I make people laugh even when they aren’t in the best mood. Also I’m outgoing in a way. I might be shy at first, but once someone gets to know me, I am not shy,” he said, as he chuckled a bit.

As the conversation came to an end, we continued to talk for a bit more. Meeting someone new and learning new things is always great to do. It was a pleasure talking with you, until next time.”

Both of us left with a new friend on that winter’s day.

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 Interview with Raina Becker

By: Esther Ngo-Oum

            To look at things from a different perspective, you always should talk to a person whom you’ve never really associated with. This is how my interview with Raina became so interesting to me. I think that because we both never really associated with each other, the interview started off as extremely awkward. I began the interview with the following question: “Tell me about your best attribute and how and why you feel it has been a positive impact on your life.” I could tell that she was a bit uneasy with I asked her this because of the way her body was positioned. She responding saying, “I guess like, empathy, because I’m like a quiet person but I think that for the most part when i am being quiet I am actually observing and like taking notes of things. Like even when you disagree with someone, I always try to kind of take a step back and understand them.” We both agreed on her ideologies, especially on the current situations that are happening with the presidency and politics and how people growing up in certain areas impact the ideology of people.

The next question that I asked her was “Imagine yourself five years from now. What is your ideal life like and what have you done to get there?” She responded saying, “I would hopefully have a bachelor's degree. I think I want to continue on to a masters degree. I’ve definitely been kind of like a general area-wise right now, so hopefully, I’ve completed a bachelor's degree in something  that I’ve actually decided that I’d enjoy ad I’d like to think that after four years of college, I would go and find a job or I’m gonna try to go onto a masters degree. Right now everything feels so unsure.” For me, I can relate to her on a certain level because though I know what my aspirations for my career are, I have know idea where I am headed for college or whether or not I’m playing collegiate sports under a scholarship.

After we finished discussing the previous question, I think that we both became a lot more comfortable with each other seeing as we each shared similar views on the world. The third question that I asked her was “Describe a warm memory of your child.” She is originally from Plattsburg, NY, which is where her grandparents from her mother's side reside. “When we were little, we would go out there a whole lot.” You could tell by the way her eyes lit up when she spoke that she loved nature. “You go out into the woods and it’s like pitch black out there. You look up and you see like everything, all the stars are out. It’s just like woods and this huge chunk of property.” She loved to spend times outdoors and enjoyed all of the perks of being in nature, but this became difficult once she and her siblings got older and became more occupied with work and such.

For me, I know that I always tend to second guess myself, whether it be making a decision on what to eat or wear or on a quiz. This is something I would definitely change about myself if I had a magic wand. I asked her what she would change about herself if she had a magic wand. She had the following response; “Umm, probably my lack of self-confidence or being unsure of myself. I second guess myself a lot and I’m not very good with public speaking. I guess nervous easily and my face gets really red.” Like many others, including myself, we can all say that we have a little bit of stage fright, which can also alter how we look in front of others.

Listening to her made me realize how important living life to the fullest actually could benefit a person. This is why I asked her if she could travel the world, where would she go and what would she see. She responded saying that she would go to the Arctic because it is not necessarily a place where people go to vacation and that if she went there, she could maybe show people what is happening to the Earth in terms of Global warming.

I concluded my interview with Raina with the question that everyone has asked me over the years; “ When you first came to SOTA you had many expectations. What were they and how have they been realized now that you are a senior?” She thought that SOTA would be more like the disney shows/movies High School Musical and Victorious, where people would be singing in the hallways. “ There was stuff hanging from the ceiling. Kind of like High School Musical, where everyone’s got painted lockers.” Now that she’s been exposed to the school, she says that “It’s still very much like a normal school.” I understand where she is coming from because that is how I also thought it would be like to attend School of the Arts.

Conducting this interview gave me a lot of insight on Raina’s perception of the school and helps also to shape how I looked at things a certain way for the future

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 Interview with Andrea

By Niccolo Bernotti

Today, on an unusually warm day on February, I asked one of my classmates a few questions. Her name is Andrea and we probably talked three times since the school year started. The interview began with the first question: ‘ If you were an exchange student what country would she choose? What do anticipate this country to be like? Food? People? Culture? ’ She probably thought for like two seconds, then she answered, ‘ I would definitely choose Italy.’ I was a little bit surprise actually; then she said that she would love to try the food, then she said ‘ the closest I’ve gotten to eat Italian food is Olive Garden, ’ she laughed, still laughing she said that she would love eat cannolis, but more important she would love to see the architecture and the scenery, and learn more about the culture. She sounded like she was dreaming. The next question was ‘  Do you consider yourself as an adventurous person or someone who prefers more security and predictability ?’ she thought for a minute straight and the she answered, she consider herself in the middle of being adventurous and being cautious, then I asked ‘ Why?’ and she told me that it depends on the mood she’s at the moment, and when she’s in a good mood she likes to spend time with her friends and enjoy new places, then with a bitter voice she told me that even though she would love to travel she doesn’t have enough money, she when she travels she always tries to be aware of her surroundings.

My third question was ‘ Imagine yourself five years from now. Tell me in detail what your typical day would be like.’ her answer was ‘ I would mostly be in my  own apartment. Getting ready for class, or to go to work, I’ll be making myself something to eat or maybe stop somewhere to eat on my way to school or work.’ She also said to me that she sees herself doing the same things over and over, she kind of sounded she was sad about it but then with a more powerful and confident voice she told me  ‘ I will definitely have more responsibilities but I will try my best.’

The next question was ‘ Everyone has worries and fears. Could you tell me about two of yours and how you meet these challenges.’  she said that one of her biggest fears are spiders, and I can relate because I hate spiders too, then she said that even though it might not be a big deal but she’s very scared of them, she even told me a funny but at the same time kind of scary story about her being a kid, who’s trying to kill a spider, she laughed multiples times when she was telling me the story, the her voice changed again and she told me that actually her biggest fear is to lose someone she loves, and even though it’s inevitable she can’t stop thinking about it. The fifth question was about her senior year, she said ‘ Senior year is almost over, graduation is in less than 150 days and I couldn’t be more happier’ in fact she sounded really happy almost relieved. She also said that ‘ after this tough year, my plans for graduation are to go to college and find something I’m interested enough to have career in.’ she still doesn’t know what she’s going to do but she’s working on it, well all I can say is good luck!

My last question was about her memories in her childhood. She said that there are many memories she keeps with her, but her favourite one is when she was 7 to 12 years old, when electronics weren’t a huge part of kind’s life, she was really nostalgic, she used to play a lot with her friends and enjoy the moment without using the phone, or where Social media wasn’t such a big thing, now she sounded even more nostalgic, and she said that she miss those days where she was enjoying the moment with her friends and her family.

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 My Exclusive interview with Genesis Aviles

By Jessica Hurdle

The day was February 4th. A surprisingly warm day and I got the chance to interview Genesis Aviles a creative writing major that’s in my senior class. Our interview begins very warmly. I explained that music is important in this era, and is commonly used for communication. “What song really describes you, like your personally?”. I asked She stops to think for a moment. “Can i look at my phone for a second?.” she asked “There’s really a lot of songs I listen to.”  She says excitedly.” I think Youth by Troy Sivan I like that one”.  She said, I wondered why she made the choice. “Why” I asked curiously “ Well I love Troy Sivan that one of the bigger reasons” She explained “and because the lyrics are simple and catchy and they have a deep meaning to it I think. Like my youth is yours like my childhood does not belong to you and something but yeah that all i got.” Moving the conversation forward, I started to tell her how historical figures are the main reasons why most things came to be and made America the country it is today. “If you can sit down and have a conversation with one historical figure who would it be? And what would you ask him or her?. “Without any hesitation she says “Jesus!” I chuckled and we both started laughing” well choose Jesus because he’s Jesus and probably because I don’t know because he’s that guy and like he’ll probably tell me how the world was created and yeah”. She said then we laughed some more.” A Lot of people are born with different features like blue eyes and blonde hair but people grow up with different personalities traits as well what something you would change about yourself mentally and physically? ”After thinking for a moment she answered “the ideal me? Well, I would be beautiful, I’ll have long hair, long nice hair, green eyes because my dad has green eyes and I want his eyes but my mom’s eyes because their brown but I think that’s it for appearance wise but for personality I guess to have more confidence you know to be more outgoing and where I can approach people more confidently and I can be more approachable so people don’t think I’m quiet and mean that’s what I’m not.” I reminded her that everyone has a backstory, something that help that find ourselves “ so what is one event or something that happened that impact you and how did you overcome it?.” She thought about this question for a long time, longer than it took to answer the other questions. “Well my life is really bland but well I was very young when this happen but when I was six I had surgery for my appendix because it kind of exploded and something when wrong but yeah that was one thing the stuck with me that like I really have to take care of myself and life is very short I guess and I have to live it to the fullest. How did I overcome it? Well I was six so I don't know I probably forgot how I did it but yeah”. The final question was about a very familiar topic. Based on recent events President Trump recent shutdown the government for the democrats of the house denied the building of the wall.” how do you feel about the government shutdown and where are your views of the reasons why?.” instantly she said” I think it's stupid people should get paid I don't know why they're going to work I think it's stupid that they're still going to work without getting paid and he should pay them and make up his mind and I will the wall yeah I hate him period.” I personally enjoyed interviewing Genesis and we had a really good conversation and there you have it.

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 MY DEAR FRIEND AMANDA

Interview with Amanda B. Interviewed by Ash’er

It was sunny, quite sunny. The golden light flooding through the window turning the hallway a light amber. “Here is good!” as she plopped herself down in the middle of the hallway, splaying her bag and laptop nearby. Leaning forward casting her face into the sunlight. Her eyes a shimmering blue speckled green. “Thank you for having me-- for this beautiful interview!” Amanda says, gleaming a smile.

“Of Course! My dear, dear friend” I return. We share a small laugh. “Alright, I want you to step outside yourself. How do you think people view you as a person?”

 Amanda leaned back scrolling her thoughts.

“It’s kind of interesting cus’ after I came here, I kinda feel that I’ve taken another roll-- especially at school. Cus’ in Norway I was always a very-- like the center of attention in the classroom and always like the clown of the class and always very... just out there and crazy, but now, now that I don’t know that many in the class, I try to take another roll in the class and be more quiet and observe more.

“Here in America and in this school, people may view me as a little quiet and-- not necessarily shy but just quiet and absurd. Absurd?”

Amanda herself was not one hundred percent confident in her word choice, however, I believe the word she may have been looking for was “Keen” or even “Observative” just as she wished her newfound American persona to be.

The class clown aspect of Amanda certainly does shine through in her personality. I recall my first encounter with my dear friend Amanda to be quite hysterical. Singing and dancing along with her while she was still in what I believed to be a cast or harness on her leg she obtained playing soccer.

“I know before I met you I thought you were quite the quiet type!”

“Yeah, I am not” Amanda retorted, still issuing a smile.

“After meeting you I found you have such an eccentric personality.”

“I feel like that is really me and how all those people in my say-- my elementary school and my middle school who were not like me and were super shy and didn't talk at all. I never talked to them. It's interesting to see how they probably viewed my class and viewed me-- to be that person for a year.

Amanda seemed quite deep in her thoughts, pondering her own situation but also that of her fellow classmates back in Norway. She scooted in closer as people began to walk through the hallways, brushing past the both of us in the midst of conversation.

“Could you tell me your most memorable memory? The thing that has been most notable to you in your life?”

Amanda began to squinch.

“Something that you could always look back to?”

“Um, I feel that when you have a huge break out of emotions you remember it. So like-- when I went to Africa in 2012 and I went to Kenya with my parents and another family for three and a half weeks it literally changed my life.

“The population in Malindi how it was divided into-- there were so many people living in poverty and then there were some people who were Pretty. Wealthy. I remember walking through the slum? You call it a slum?”

“Yes.”

“It smelled so awful, it smelled garbage and sh*t and totally disgusting.

Amanda seemed distraught as if reliving her experience. Her speckled eyes darting around the hallway as the clouds passed over the sun. Shadows were creeping up on the both of us. She took a pause to gain some breath.

“You kinda, after walking, you kinda got used to the smell-- and you didn’t talk very much you just walk and observer everything. Garbage on the ground, dirt everywhere, people begging for money-- and I remember this lady coming up with her child on her chest and asking for money for the child's medicine… I was telling my dad We have to help her. we have to give her money. what are we going to do? we have to help her. And he did give her some money but you can’t like give--

“Everything?”

“Everything! You can’t-- You want to do as much as you can, you want to do more and more and it’s like you want to give a little bit to everyone. I think that may be better than giving everything to one person. I was only twelve years old and it really changed my view on poverty and how so many people have a different life than I do.”

“ That’s very insightful, I know I’ve always wanted to visit Africa--”

“Yeah, it’s a beautiful place, and beautiful food and people, I really do recommend it! Love Africa!”

The sunlight began to roll in through the windows once again, enough to a cascade of her newly found smile from her memories of her visits to Africa.

“Alright, to brighten up the mood a little bit I have a question here about romance!”

“Yay,” Amanda shot her arm into the air.

“It comes down to, what are your preferences when it comes to dating people?”

“Like what’s the most turn on thing?”

“Yeah! Pretty much!” We both let out a laugh.

“I guess i’m really attracted to talent.”

“Talent?”

“Yeah! Like when someone has really good talent. Like playing piano-- like if I see a boy playing piano I’m like oh-my-god! Or if someone is like really good at acting.”

“So I’m guessing this school is a very good pool for you!”

Amanda chuckled.

“It’s a combination, it’s always a combination-- like being very brave? Like being an extrovert and which I’m not this year.”

“Extroverted?”

“Well I’m extroverted but I think it’s really really attractive when someones like Hey, you wanna hang out! Or Hey, do you want to go on a date? Or Prom. Y’know you see that in movies but it's not often that people are actually like that.

She was quite right. Most romance movies do have the forward upfront guy. Seemingly Amanda wanted to be her own Gabriella or have her own 16 candles.

“I really like boys who are brave enough to go for it-- and surprise I love surprises.”

“I know here in America we have a stigma of girls who are tall but I have heard still of guys who think you’re cute or that you caught their eye.”

“Aww, that so nice! But no that’s the thing I think it’s really really attractive when guys are brave enough to do that!”

It was no stretch of the imagination to say that Amanda is a beautiful young woman and has garnered many eyes-- especially due to her unique sense of style, a mix of pop retro and modern trends that paint her to be quite an interesting figure. Even down to her socks, Amanda shows her individuality.

“I find it hard too to show bravery like that, it is hard to show so much courage and I mean-- Wow!”

She burst into a flutter of smiles.

“I’ve never really been asked out on a date.

“Really?”

“People don’t really approach me and I think maybe it’s because I’m so tall and they maybe are like afraid. Or maybe they're afraid of this awful person!”

Amanda chuckles as she rocks back and forth.

“As one person who’s never been asked out on a date to another person who’s never been asked out on a date, I’ll say yeah, I believe people do get a little intimidated. I know it’s a little harder to relate I wouldn’t expect a girl to come up to me to show interest”

‘Yeah, me too! The only thing that I had was in Cuba where adult men are like mmm ooh da-da-da-la-la-la come here! Oh Sexy, sexy! Like on the street y’know?”

“Well, now I know Catcalling is synonymous around the world.” I jest.

“Yeah, well, that’s everywhere y’know? In Spain in Africa in everywhere, but it’s everywhere.”

“I can understand that no one deserves to be harassed on the street just walking by.”

“I know there are times where i’m sitting down in a coffee shop and someone comes to you to talk about the book your reading-- those conversations are so much more meaningful than comments like that.”

“Moving on, If you can imagine yourself bringing up a child how would their upbringing be to yours? Because I mean you’ve lived quite a life!”

“Yup!” Amanda exclaimed

“ You’ve been to a numerous amount of countries, you’re a foreign exchange student, that’s very different.”

“It is, definitely and I’ve learned-- I don’t know the word for it in English but before I came here I never really thought that I traveled that much. But many people here  have never been--”

“Outside of the U.S.?”

“Yeah, Or outside of Rochester or New York State. Its just I really appreciate getting that distant view on my life and my family and upbringing. I have found that I appreciate my parents and how they raised me and my brother and how they allowed us to participate in a discussion and set my case and try to find my own compromises, so I’d probably let my child travel and give him the same freedoms.

“I also find it’s a so much easier to break rules rather than promises so if you build up trust with your parents instead of You’re not allowed to do this-- and this-- and this -and this. I’d feel very guilty about breaking that promise.”

“I completely agree, raising a kid with love is always the best option when it comes to raising kids-- at least I think. I wouldn’t know I don’t have any kids. I can’t vouch for it!

“When it comes back to seeing your experiences of now in the future what do you think you're taking from it.”

“This year?”

“Just overall even being here now as a student in the Rochester high school, I mean of course we're not the best city in the world nor are we the most interesting.”

“Well, well--”

“You’ve been to New York City, you’ve been to New York City, you understand.”

Amanda leans forward and chuckles.

“Well I’m from a much bigger city than Rochester and I’m a city girl and I’m used to very good, what is it called, infrastructure? I take the bus everywhere and there's always a plan or a party tonight.

Amanda digressed,

“I learned that the most from my upbringing is to travel. To see the world, that’s why I’m here as well. I just want to live the lie of the American teenager, there’s so many American teenagers here as well I want to see how it feel and how it’s like to be an American teenager.

“it ‘s funny because American teenagers hate being American teenagers.”

“Yeah I’ve noticed, it’s interesting! Just going to the grocery shop is interesting its something you’ve never done before. The thing is America has a big impact on the world. So many things come from America or affected by America-- especially with social media nowadays’.”

“Music, Tv shows, Movies”

“Yeah, there’s a lot that comes from here. I’m kind of glad I didn’t get put in LA or New York city or huge parts of America it’s not just those. I’ve never heard of Rochester in my life or that New York is a state, not just a city!

“Now I’m that person saying no, I don’t live in New York City I live in Rochester like up north. I feel like that’s a symbol of how I’ve changed into that person who has to explain--- because I’m American now.

Many people would most likely pass Amanda by thinking she was a full-blooded American. She’s the ideal image of an archetypal teenage American girl; Dirty blonde, tall, sporty, witty, speckled eyed, city girl, eccentric, extroverted. Who is to say that Amanda may be any less American than even myself. Amanda is an American girl living the American dream in an American high school.

“Yes, of course!” I add.

Amanda in her best efforts tries on her best American accent, staunch full of nasal congestion and teenage angst.

“Truly American, from like America Y’know!”

“Is that how you think we sound?!”

Both bursting into laughter in the amber hallway unaware of the passerby’s and clock slowly winding down to the spare minutes of class as we finish our interview. No, Instead it was just a conversation coaxed as an interview with my dear friend Amanda.

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 INTERVIEW with Julianna

By Semaj

            Friday February 1st in the afternoon I sat down with Juliana for an interview. The first question I asked was about her childhood. I asked her to tell me of a moment from that time that made an impact, something that she would never forget. Her reply was almost instant, she recalled when her great grandmother passed. “That was the first time I ever seen my dad cry; which was like woah, I didn’t know men could cry”. At this moment she realized that even men, the people society views as strong and invulnerable, can actually be vulnerable. “ Don’t judge people based off what they look like” says Juliana in response to my question. The question asked her about a lesson she would like to teach her potential children. The reason why is because she says sometimes we forget that “people are people” and that it was always something her parents stressed while raising her.

            We all learn lesson throughout life at different moments in our lives. I asked juliana what's something she had wished she’d learn sooner. “Now I know that I can go to my dad for anything.”  she replied. Juliana realized that again her father was human and could actually feel things similar to what she was going through; because he went through similar things growing up. She realized that her father was not this rigid wall that society often paints a father being. “Knowing that I can confide in him, I wish I’d known that sooner”. The next question I asked got an answer without any hesitation. “My mama… knowing that now I have to take care of her because I cannot lose her”. This response was very powerful, she went on with tears forming in her eyes to explain how her mother taught her to take care of someone. How to cook, clean, and how to be supportive. Juliana is taking what her mother taught her and she is now using it to help her mother. This is why when I asked who influenced her the most, the response was instantaneous.

            To switch gears I asked what was Jaliana’s favorite color. She told me that at first it was purple but then she grew out of that and into white. “It’s so versatile, you can do so much with it. You can take something white and make it into something beautiful; it’s a blank canvas” this standpoint was one I personally never thought of. Juliana didn't see white as a color or a shade see saw it as potential for creativity. Juliana was well spoken and had a well assembled response for each question, she was open and very lively. An honest interview.

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Interview with Mariangelis Gonzalez

By Faduma Abdi

Back from an unexpected 2 day break, my interview with Mariangelis Gonzalez was a bit too formal for my liking considering we are both creative writing majors and have known each other since seventh grade. I wanted to have a genuine conversation and tried to get that point across in the way I asked questions and initiated more of a conversation than an interview but it still ended up more reserved than I would have liked.

I conducted the interview in a small room and we sat next to each other at a round table with our chromebooks set in front of us. She fidgeted with the scarf around her neck at first but ultimately got a little more comfortable, although not by much. Sitting back and relaxing on the chair, I expected her to do the same but she continued to sit pin straight in the chair with her hands crossed in her lap.

Mariangelis is very serious about grades and schoolwork so it was no surprise she was treating this so formally. She says that “time management has affected my high school career in a positive way” because it’s helped her to balance academics with extracurricular activities in and out of school. “I also participated in academic extracurriculars like math league, speech and debate and they’ve all helped me to become a better speaker.” She says that all of this and doing different things out in the community are helping her to prepare for her future by helping others. “I've done a program at the Red Cross and internships at different non profits.”

From this, I asked her, “If you could help heal one problem in the world, how would you contribute?” She talked about the obvious, poverty and hunger. “There are a lot of people in need around the world and we only think about our needs and not those like who need what we take for granted.” She is slightly more relaxed but fidgeting in her chair and taking time to think about her answers. I try and fill the pauses, giving her different ideas on how she can help. She responds with, “It all starts at home. There are a lot of homeless people in Rochester and doing small things like volunteering at a soup kitchen will leave an impact.”

She would like to attend medical school to help others. “In 5 years, I do see myself on the road to medical school, helping others physically, emotionally and spiritually is my goal.” Her love for helping people is obviously the most important thing to her and the fidgeting girl sitting across from me is what the world needs more of.

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Interview with Esther Ngo-Oum

by Raina Becker

It was a cold late Friday morning after two consecutive snow days at School of the Arts. Brutal sub-zero temperatures still engulfed the city so the classroom was near empty as many students stayed home. As I fumbled with my phone to start recording our conversation she waited in a patient silence.

I begin my interview with a question about her parents' upbringing and how it thus affected her upbringing. She took a moment to ponder the question then said “To start off, my parents immigrated around two years before I was born from Africa” beginning with this almost as if this was a disclosure. She talked about how her parents and aunts and uncles were expected to do well in school and how extracurriculars were less of a priority. “My father [played] soccer...but that was just something to pass time” as she said this I was reminded of the school soccer games I’ve seen her play in. She continued on to explain that her grandparents were both religious and valued academic achievement.“Being Christian and school-oriented was the best way for them to teach their kids how to be a good worker” and in turn, much of this was how she was raised.  

My next question moved on to foreign languages in America. I asked her why she thought America, a place that is supposed to be a melting pot, has so few bilingual people and on top of that many who outright oppose people speaking something other than English in public. She took a sort of deep sigh “For starters, of course, English is the main language but for me personally... seeing as I speak I second language—actually a third language too, we get put into a corner.” She brushed the whole three languages thing aside as if speaking three languages before graduating high school was no big deal. Though of course, shouldn’t it be? Ideally, we would have our native language and a second that we learned at a young age in school and potentially going on a third in high or college and on top of that any languages that one learns because of their family.

Of course, this isn’t the case in America, here “it’s not prioritized”. Esther took a moment and I could see her thoughts come together “other countries incorporate it into education”. This brought us back to my first question where she told me about how academics and education are valued in her family, “The more languages you know the more opportunities you’ll have”. Language is a tool she said and speaking multiple languages and being tolerant and accepting of those whose first language isn’t English “all comes down to education”.

I steered the conversation in a new direction next asking what she thought we could do as individuals to combat climate change and pollution. Though I said individual she went right to the family unit: “As families, we can learn to be more eco-friendly.” She went, carefully and quiet “One, with cooking. A lot of people I know don’t cook as much as they go out. That’s one of the— that might be one of the reasons we are where we are.”

Though Esther seemed unsure of herself, even concluding this statement with “that’s basically all I can really say” her point of home cooking and the environment is actually a big topic. She stumbled over her words so she could quickly rephrase that eating out only might have an effect on climate change making sure she didn’t state something false as fact but in actuality, many have proof that it is. What we eat has a large impact on the environment as our food and how we produce and eat it has an extreme effect on our carbon footprint. Non for profit group MAD, a climate change group working towards bettering our food systems, published an entire article about this called “The Carbon Footprint of Eating Out”.

Next, I brought up the topic of fostering and adopting kids and asked her why most don’t do it as much as everyone likes to say they would. She shifted around and looked past me “I don’t know” she said simply. There was a hint of sadness in her tone, “there’s a difference in responsibility. People will feel like ‘oh well I didn’t give birth to her’ while here’s my biological kid who I did and it puts a strain in these relationships” and it often does, or at least it’s what people fear will happen. “Foster kids…” she trailed off but came back with a harsher tone “you can pick and choose when you want them when you don’t. You treat them even more different than you would adopted kids.” 

She leaned back and almost signaled an end to that topic. So I asked her my final question which brought us back to where we actually were: high school. I asked her about prom king and queen, student government and class rank and what this all meant to her. She addressed class ranking first and jumped to the topic quickly. “Okay—here's my” she straightens her posture “Okay, class rank. It shows us where we stand in our school academically”. She didn’t get all stuck up about grades though instead, she added quickly and just as surely as her initial statement “but it may not be like accurate because some you know some kids have their strengths and weakness like dealing with the school environment may be different for them”. She began to bring up test anxiety and presenting in class or how she herself struggles with group work.

“Now for prom,” she said prom with an annoyed attitude like this was something that she had previously been upset about. “If someone wants to run for prom king and queen then let them do it. It’s being misinterpreted” We then began to talk about how we both agreed that the prom king and queen drama you see in movies isn’t something that happens at SOTA. That there aren’t really cliques and that prom king and queen wasn’t something that needed to be gotten rid of. “I wanted to run for prom queen” she added with a level of disappointment in her voice.

We trailed into the next question and I assured her that this was my last question. Finally, I asked if she thought the current Congress’ historically high amount of women really mattered. “Men do not really know what women go through” and her voice rose up from the quiet whisper it occasionally fell to and her words became clear cut. She went on to name abortion and health care as specific things that when voting about we need a female opinion.

“We need more representation because that way women will feel included but at the same time” she drifted into thought for a bit and I watched her search for how she would get her point across. She looked back up to having found her words and said: “we can also teach men”. She went on to explain that she believed men could learn to better understand what women go through but even still sometimes you just need a woman in their voting.

I glanced out the window and had nearly forgotten how bad it was out there. The classroom was dark and around us others asked, answered and conversed. She finished up what she was saying and took a minute seeming to double check that that was all she had to say. Then finally looked to me and put her hands together giving a signal she was done. I looked down to my phone seeing the length of the interview and just then realizing how different the topics were we’d converted and then I hit stop.

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In depth with Jessica Hurdle

By Genesis Aviles

It was a school day, late morning when I had the opportunity to discuss and dwell upon certain interesting topics with my classmate, Jessica Hurdle. The day was surely destined to be a boring, dreary one, but chatting with Jessica brought in sunny skies. As I sat down with her, I got the chance to know and have a better understanding of bona fide Jessica.

As an interviewer, my goal was to get as much information as possible in the very little time offered to us. I wanted to end this interview as if i’d known Jessica my whole life, that every little detail about her was already something I could recall, and hopes that I would make a new friend.

To start of the interview, I of course had to include at least one of those bland, basic interview questions, so I chose to ask her to describe a wonderful event that had occured in her life, and what made it so significant. She seemed to be in deep thought, hoping she can recall such an event. After about a minute or so she responded with "One wonderful experience I have had was when I was 11. I signed up for a music program, in which I have been greatly interested in for a long time. The program gave me the chance to attend an RPO concert, which I enjoyed very much. I liked the RPO concert because of the sound, it was unique. I loved how focused the musicians were.” After I had listened to her response, I took the liberty to ask her a follow up question on what exactly does “RPO” stand for, she said it simply stands for Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.

For the next question, I ditched those basic questions and approached her with a question that I think anyone would enjoy answering,: If you have to describe your life in 3 songs, what would they be? Jessica chuckled lightly and seemed rather interested in the question. She put her hands up, as a “time out”, since it seemed to be quite more puzzling to find an answer. After some time, she responded with “Oh my god, three songs hm? I guess the first song would be Alright by Kendrick Lamar, because there are some aspects and lyrics in that song that I can relate to.” I then asked her to tell give me a certain lyric from that song that spoke to her. “There is this one lyric at the end where he sort of talks to everybody which is “I keep my head up high, I cross my heart and hope to die, lovin’ me is complicated” She said. I myself found the lyric choice quite interesting, since it seemed kind of mellow and dark. I told her my thought, she laughed. “I suppose it is because I was going through a rough patch at the time.” She responded. I didn’t want for the interview to take a mellow route, so I asked for her to answer the rest of the question. She continued on with the response, saying “For video reasons I would say also This is America by Childish Gambino. I like it because it displays what is happening in society today. Adagio for strings, because the piece starts of as calm and majestic, but as it goes on, it starts to get more dramatic. Think of it as a scale, it starts of small and reaches its highest peak and comes back down again.”

It seemed as though we were running out of time, and I started to get a little frustrated, since I wanted to make sure I knew the real Jessica, not the distant classmate I see everyday. I decided to end the interview on a positive note and ask her “Man and nature are intertwined. What do you think is your spirit animal and why?” She laughed loudly, amused as to why I chose to ask such a question. She answered the question with “I’m a weird person, so i’d have to choose a weird animal. Hm, I guess i’d be a turtle. Like a turtle, when things get hard I like to seperate myself from everything. And also, turtles are cute.” I was intrigued by the animal she had chosen, but after some thought, she really does act like one.

Based on the interview, I have observed and inferred, that Jessica both a shy and very outgoing person all at once. I found pleasure in receiving the opportunity to sit down and get to understand what makes her....well her. Jessica herself seemed to be quite comfortable during the interview, and so did I. As the bell rung, signaling it was time to leave, she rose from the desk and left with a smile. “That was fun.” she said.

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Interview with Dakota Lane

By Tessa Meyer

I interviewed Dakota Lane on a blustery friday morning in mid winter. She was wearing a matching polo sweat suit and all of her gold chains. She looked nervous even though i have been friends with dakota since the beginning of the year. She was very cheerful in an almost bashful way.

I started by saying “hi” and she replied with a quiet “hey”. Dakota is very outgoing in a quiet way. The first question I asked her was, ”Select three adjectives that you think best describe you and give me an example of how they come into play in your life. tell me about yourself?”. To this she replied “happy, outgoing, and organized”, she seemed to know these off the top of her head like she was prepared for me to ask them. We started to elaborate on why she is organized and she interrupted “I know your not organized” and laughed. I thought that was very funny that she would remember that.

The next question I asked was, “How do you see the art you selected in school impacted your future? what career paths do you see yourself taking?” she replied while laughing “girl I play trumpet” then I started laughing too. We both stopped laughing and she elaborated “I wouldn't have wanted to go to any other school, but I cannot see myself playing the trumpet after high school”. We really connected on that because I do not see myself using my major after high school.

My favorite question I asked was definitely “We all have our strengths and weaknesses. Give me an example of each and how they played out in a situation you encountered?”. Now, one thing I know about Dakota is that she has had some difficulties in a relationship that she had been in an out of since she was younger, just by knowing Dakota i would say that one of her strengths is staying calm even when everything is going wrong. She seemed to think just the opposite “one of my weakness is that I get too mad and too petty”. She didn't talk much about her strengths which I feel like she has a lot of.

Dakota said that ten years from now she would definitely like to “own a barber shop”. This is exactly what I would think she would, do because earlier she exclaimed “I get a haircut every week.

Since we are in high school obviously we have part time jobs which we talk about all the time. I  asked her “what do you think you want to do after this job” and she replied she would like to “move to Vegas to be closer to her grandparents and try to start a business there”. I feel like that is a really great representation of Dakotas core values.

As a closing i asked her “ Your high school career is about to come to a close, what can you take into the world with you from these past four years?” she replied “everything, SOTA has helped me mature and become the person I am today.” I agreed with her. As the interview came to a close me and Dakota laughed about our pasts here at the school of the arts, and talked about memories that would last forever.

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 Interview with Adrianna

By: Adnilem Santiago

Not until I was assigned Adrianna as my interview partner had I ever had a real conversation with her. This was an opportunity to get to know her a little better. We talked in our Journalism class on a cold, February Tuesday afternoon. The first item I asked her about was how she wanted to make a living after she graduated from high school. Immediately she shared her passion for becoming a  mechanic. Attending higher education and night classes that will earn her an ASE certified mechanic license. I wanted my next question to be sincere and profound so switched my tone to make her feel comfortable to open up. I then asked her “what was something she would change in her personality?” She took a deep breath and responded “To be more positive, hope for the best instead of the worst and become more driven.” I appreciated her honesty and it gave me an idea of who she really was.

 I wanted to take away from the tension of the question, so I drifted towards a more positive one. “What were some of her strengths?” At this point everyone in the room was interviewing and we become distracted with all the voices colliding in a small classroom. It took her awhile to reply, but I wasn't mad. Actually we commonly both let distraction pass the little time we had. She replied “ Oh I find myself to be very independent and self driven, thats how ive been my entire life.” I then realized we had a lot in common, and it made me respect her and understand her even more. I had gotten an insight of her personality but I was interested hat she did with her free time. To my surprise, a complete plot twist, she responded ¨ My job, where I work on cars, rebuilding and changing oils.” She became so passionate when she spoke about her job it made me realize her ambition. She wasn't a typical highschool girl, she was pretty cool! I was so fascinated, I needed to know more, I even got off script and began asking other questions.

When I realized time was quickly going by I asked my last few questions. “If you were to hire someone, What qualifications would you look for?” She quickly replied with such confidence, “ I would want them to be ASE certified mechanics, independent, and focused.” I was glad because I totally agreed with her answers. The time had come for the last question. I wanted to finish strong and really leave out with something memorable and unique. So at last I asked her to give me “a song lyric that she identified with, Why is that and in what way does she connect?” This was the longest she had taken, but very certained she responded “Completely focused my mind is opened by Ariana Grande, I’ve always been about being focused and independent on what I need to do to keep moving forward and keeping an open mind to new possibilities and challenges.” There was a long pause of quietness and before the bell had wrong we both agreed, how enjoyable and interesting this assignment had been.

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 Interview with Tayah

By Shania Washington

As a prerequisite to writing my interview story, on a Friday morning, I interviewed Tayah Smith, who’s a senior at School of the Arts. Sitting side by side in a 3rd floor classroom,  i began the interview, starting with a question that would allow me to better know my interviewee. “Describe yourself as a person and tell me one thing you love about yourself and why? ” I ask. Before Tayah answered, we both stopped to admire how sunny it was, even though it was a winter day. Sitting there waiting on her response, i remember feeling the cold breeze come from the window as it blew through her long straight black hair. Tayah finally responded by saying that she is a dedicated and committed person, who stresses the importance of knowing who she wants to be and what she wants to do. She explains, how much she loves that about herself and that she's proud that those are the things that roams her mind. Before asking the second question, i patiently waited for the classroom filled with other students to quiet down.

As the classroom began to get darker, i asked, “Looking back at your childhood, is there anything you would change and why? If not, why not?”. Not waiting for no time to go by, Tayah answered expeditiously with a straight, “no”, because she feels like if she goes back and change anything than she wouldn't be who she is today. Which she proudly describes herself as, “strong and focus”.  Wearing her black and silver volleyball uniform, Tayah shared with me that, as the captain of the volleyball team, she once had to lead practice while the coach was busy in reply to the question, “can you identify and explain a situation where you had to step up and be the leader and how did you feel after?” I asked. She explained how she made sure to keep the team motivated and how she chose to make practice fun with “on and off the court” exercises. Overall, Tayah felt like the job was done correctly and efficiently, plus she was happy that the team was happy after practice.

“My mom is the person I look up to, because she’s a single mother raising 3 kids and a grandmother, who shows me that there is someone out here working hard for what they have and she always made sure that we had everything we needed” said Tayah. Also being from a single mother household, I could relate to her situation. Before moving along with the interview, we discuss more on the topic of the stresses of being a single mother and found out that we had more in common as we both shared that we wanted to be in a sorority in college.  “Give me a list of your greatest fears in life. What strategies do you use to manage them?” Asking this question I was seeking to see if we would also share similar fears in life as we both are currently seniors halfway to the finish line. Tayah turned her body to face me and said, “being able to feel”, was her biggest fear. I first did not understand what she meant but when she explained that she didn't want to be poor, living check by check and or not being able to make friends, i understood completely. She also talks about how she would make it her goal to make friends by joining a club and also shares with me that she would like to continue volleyball in college.

Being both a senior at the same school and going through the same process into adulthood, asking the last two questions, i was intrigued to hear her responses. “Being a senior, almost at the finish line of high school, what was the journey like for you?  How would you have changed anything, if you could?” i said. Taking her time to reflect, she began to say that the journey was cool. Immediately i had to disagree, which caused both of us to laugh. She then continues to say that because she started SOTA in 9th grade rather than the 7th, making friend was very difficult to do due to the fact that everyone seemed to already have there own cliques. Not regretting her decision to enrolled into SOTA, she had to leave her friends as they all went to another school. She then repeats herself by saying that the 9th grade was the hardest for her here at SOTA but then says that she eventually found friends and by her joining the volleyball team, she made even more. She ends her response by saying, “ I wish I had challenge myself more and i expected more from SOTA but this is a nice school”. And last but not least, the question that everyone wants to know after graduating, “Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?” i asked. As she looks outside the window stroking her hair, her last words spoken in this interview were, “I plan on attending an out of state college to get a degree to become a pediatric nurse. I would set out to get my bachelor's degree first, try to get a position at an hospital and then go back to school to get an higher degree” Tayah said. 

Overall the interview was a success in my eyes in so many ways. I found out that Tayah and I shared a lot in common even though we weren't close. Ending the interview, it was nice hearing about who she was and who she wanted to be and i left knowing so much about Tayah that I didn't know before.

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                                             Interview with Ryan Simonton

                                    By: Rey Caez

Ryan sat down with a nervous type of body language. He was shy and messing with his hands a lot. I asked him, “Senior year is going by fast, what strategies have you put into place to make your next step a success? Which means so is college. Which colleges are your top choice and why did you pick your major?”  “I've tried my hardest to pay attention even though I have trouble with procrastination, but I do want to go to college for audio engineering. I currently take AP Music Theory and it helps me. I did get accepted into FLCC which is the college I really wanted to get into. But yea I really want to become an audio engineer and a music producer. It’s something I would want people to enjoy coming from me.” I can see that he was starting to tense down, but i wanted to get into his head to know the real him and get him to be comfortable with me. “Take me ahead ten years into your future. Describe a typical week day for me. Look at yourself 10 years from now. Where do you see yourself and have you already started the progress towards this goal?” He takes a few moments as I can see he was in deep thought. He looks back at his previous answer, “ I will probably be through college and have a job by then. Mondays will probably be in a studio and recording and have new ideas for music. Tuesday and Wednesday and maybe Thursday have time to compose the music. Friday will be a a day where I make up work for the past days. Saturday is free time and fun times, but maybe still work on music on a video game.” I was curious about the video game so I ask about it. He explained, “I want to produce an app game and a videogame that has to deal with music and a also have a good story that matches the music.” Now I’ve gotten a good sense on his hobbies and his goals. But now I wanted to know where they came from.  “Now let’s move back in time. If you could go back to any decade of the 1900’s, which decade would it be? Who are you? What are you doing? Wearing? Thinking about the world.” I asked this because teenagers are constantly influenced by previous decades. “Not too far probably the 90s or 80s. There were alot of musical breakthrough. A Lot of well known music genres were coming out and alot more African-American people. Optimistically I would be producing, realistically I would be doing gigs and hoping people would like him. I would probably have the same hair and style and I would be thinking a lot.  I would probably wear high waisted jeans, with some caps and sunglasses.” I can see that Ryan has gotten comfortable with me by his body language so I wanted to pinpoint exactly who influenced him. “We are bombarded with influences. Tell me about someone who has impacted your life by what they have said or done”. He thinks about his answer for a few moments. I can tell he was a lot of influence in his life but he was trying to pinpoint a very special person. “My mom completely. Overall my mom has been inspirational. Even though my dad did alot for me like be in the navy, but my mom has been there and she's really understanding. She can tell when i'm down and she really caring and open hearted, No matter what everyday she tries to make me happen. Brendon Urie of Panic! At the Disco also inspires me because he was a great voice and it inspires me to sing.” He is talking about singing a lot so I can see his passion for it. So I wonder if he has any other passion. “If you can have one special talent, other than any you already have, what would it be and how would you use that talent to help others?” He hesitates for a few moments because he really focuses on singing. “I want to look at any instrument and can play it. I want to be able to play any instrument without hesitation. I also want to be a top dancer and know every dance move.” At this point Ryan’s body language looks like he is comfortable with me and is ready for anything that comes his way. “If you had a free passport and could travel the world for free, where would you go and why did you choose these locations? Tell me what you see, eat and do.” I wanted to go deeper and find out more on his dreams and goals. “If I had a free passport, I would probably travel to either: Japan, South Korea, or Ireland. Japan because of the culture, and beauty of the country, I would probably try any of the food other than octopus or squid, I would want to go see the rainbow bridge in japan because it’s just a work of art with all the bright and iridescent colors. Korea for most of the same but adding in wanting to hear music there, i would want see the Banpo Bridge in Korea because the fountains on the bridge are very pretty. I would want to go to Ireland because it is part of my cultural background, it is very beautiful, i would really love to go to the  Ring of Kerry because it is a scenic and awe inspiring place that kind of blows my mind, also my aunt went there and said it was very beautiful.” In the end, Ryan has inspiring dreams and is committed to everything he does and what he aspires to do.

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