The Interview Month - Final Thoughts

The month of January 2017 will be one that I will remember for a variety of reasons.  I saw La-La Land. I marched with more than 6,000 people in Greensboro (along with the millions worldwide) to show my support for equality.  And the era of Donald Trump as our President began.

That last one was the original reason that this blog started.  I had initially wanted to hunt down Trump supports and ask them why they voted the way they did and see if I could help change their minds. But to be honest, this project got away from that idea on day one and became so much more than that. I started to realize early on that instead of bringing up that one particular thing, it was far more interesting to learn more about the stories the people I interviewed had to share.  I realized that I had been guilty of something that I had railed against...politicizing everything!

Everyone that I interviewed this month had a story to tell that wasn't all-consumed by national politics.  The media makes it seem like this is the biggest thing to impact people's lives, and at times it is. But is it really the only thing that defines someone?  I don't necessarily think so, and I honestly think that it is this hyperbolic environment, created by some in the media, that has lead us to a division of teams, the Reds vs. the Blues.  That's a game that apparently cannot end in a tie. There's got to be a winner, and in the end, we're all losers.

We are also all travelers on this spaceship called Earth, and we've all got a part to play in the larger narrative that is existence.  Some of us will be main characters on a global scale, and some will of us will be bit players. But that doesn't mean we don't all have something to contribute.  It doesn't mean we don't all have something to say. I think that everyone has a story, and that ultimately, if we stop listening to those stories, we start to say that people's lives don't matter.  And if we stop talking to one another, if we stop making connections, and if we start saying that people's lives don't matter, are we ourselves actually living?

It's important, then, to not just wait for your turn to speak and then shout over the last person that was talking.  You have to instead listen, you have to understand and comprehend, you have to empathize and internalize what someone else has just said.  And you have to be willing to entertain new ideas. You have to be willing to have your views challenged, and if they are wrong or misguided, you have to be willing to admit that changing your mind is a good thing.

Over the last month, I've gotten the opportunity to explore faith more.  I've gotten the chance to learn that people have wildly different backgrounds than my own.  I've been able to learn more about co-workers, and I've been able to connect with old friends.  I learned more about my parents, and I learned more about myself.  I've learned that my little bubble is actually bigger than I thought it was, and that the people I've surrounded myself with, either directly or indirectly, have various and interesting ways of seeing the world.

I'm excited to continue to learn more about the people that surround my life, to hear more of their stories, and to see how we can all reconnect to make our future a brighter one.  I encourage you to do the same in your own communities, and in your own lives.

My previous monthly projects have been a way for me to start off the new year with a fresh outlook and perspective, and The Interview Month has been no exception.  I hope that you have enjoyed reading this as much as I have had talking with people and writing about those conversations.  Thank you again for following along!

January 31st - Akir

Here it is! Here's the last conversation that I had for this thirty-one day project.  It's been a lot of fun introducing myself to new people, getting outside of my comfort zone, and connecting with the people in my daily life that I'd never gotten the chance to talk with in depth.  There were days where I scrambled to find someone, and there were days where I just had to dive in and introduce myself to the first stranger that I saw.  But it was a great way to kick off the year, and I'm glad that I took a small step beyond my social bubble.

To round out The Interview Month, I sat down with someone who I had been trying to get together with since I started these conversations.  We had emailed back and forth about different dates, and we had to cancel other meetings because of one thing or another. It came down to the wire, but it finally worked out that I was able to meet up with this person, a man named Akir.

I've worked with Akir since he started with the university, but again, like so many people on this campus, that connection has been fleeting.  He is always quick to come up and say hello, or we might chat on our way down the hallway, but that's been about it.  I'm very glad to have gotten the opportunity to end The Interview Month with him.

Akir

Akir was born and raised in Greensboro.  His dad was born in India before the Partition (when India and Pakistan became two separate nations) and his mom was born in Pakistan.


Akir: I tell my friends, "Call me Kashmir."  Crank up the Led Zepplin!



Akir started out in the fall of 2013 as a student in our Ed.D program here at High Point University. He was in the second cohort for that program, and he actually just turned in his application for graduation (congrats, Akir!).

Akir: I was in the graduate program, and I realized I needed to get a job that would allow me to get more data and experience for my dissertation. Luckily, I found an opening in Dr. Holder's new program and I was able to get on board with that.

Lars: And what's the focus for your dissertation?

Akir: I'm focused on faculty perceptions and attitudes towards student retention. The goal was to measure that perception and those attitudes in some way.  Then, I would use those measurements and see how we can improve retention through the faculty involvement.


Akir works as a Freshmen Success Coach, an initiative that was created to help keep more students enrolled and working towards completing their degree.  

Lars: Do you enjoy what you're doing?

Akir: I really do.  It's amazing to see the transformation for our freshmen. When I think back to when I was in college, or when you were in college, there we were 17 or 18 years old, and we just jumped into it. We didn't have a mentor, or a person with vast amount of knowledge that we could turn to if we were having problems.  Now, in my position, I get to share my knowledge and help students find their way.

I also really enjoy working with the people in the office.  Everyone works as a team.  You could call us the X-Men.  And if that's the case, I'll take Cyclops.

Before starting with HPU, Akir worked in development at a non profit fundraising for the National Conference of Community Justice.  This commitment to community justice and awareness has continued throughout his time here at the university.  He is a chair on an interfaith group, and is working on starting a program through the Piedmont Interfaith Council called "Shifting Lenses."

Akir: Shifting Lenses helps people shift from what they think they know to what's true. We work with a variety of different groups, from faith groups to middle schoolers. You are conditioned to see things a certain way, and we want to educate people to see a different point of view.

Our ultimate goal is to build bridges of understanding. We're using the slogan #weareone, because in the end we are one. That camaraderie will carry us through this tough time.

Because of the recent events with Trump's travel ban, I has to ask Akir how he felt about the situation, as he a Muslim who works with these communities.

Akir: As an educational liaison through the Piedmont Interview Council, I'm constantly working with refugees. My goal was to increase the knowledge about their situation.   A lot of them were afraid, and a lot of them came to me asking if they needed to lawyer up.  It's impacted more people that just those traveling.

As a religion, we have to invite people in, because people have outrageous assumptions.  But the truth of it is that we believe in the same God that the other Abrahamic faiths do.  We don't believe that Jesus was the son of God.  Instead, we believe that he was a prophet, just like the Jews believe. But we still have the same bedrock faith as the other Abrahamic religions.

Lars: I remember reading something about where you went to a Trump rally during the campaign, and how you had said at one point "Man, I think I'm going to have to leave this party..."

Akir: Yeah that's right, it was an eye-opening experience. I define myself as a compassionate conservative.  When you look back at Reagan and Bush the first, they were showing compassion to those that needed it.  People just needed help.  (We talk about a video making the rounds recently from one of their early debates in the 1980s, and how so much of what they said wouldn't represent many people in the Republican party today).

And think about even what W. did, going to that mosque near Ground Zero.  And he's there saying "These people are our friends."  Think about how much guts that took to do that.  Now, I think those values of compassion are not in the party as it currently stands.

But I'm encouraged because as a country, we rally behind each other. Look at what happened at the airports. Would that have happened right after 9/11?  Would you have seen so many spontaneous acts of support for the Muslim faith?  I don't think so.  So it's really encouraging to see what took place after that order was handed out.  Other people from other faiths rallied behind us, and that makes me proud of this country.

I am about working with everyone, I'm not about the party, or making sure Republicans win out over Democrats. I'm about the American, that's the important thing for me.

What's your favorite joke?

Akir: A Christian, and a Jew, and a Muslim walk into a bar and they leave as friends.

What's the meal that reminds you most of home?

Akir: Chicken tiki masala.  It's old fashioned and simple.  You use your hands, no utensils.  You dip the bread or naan into it and it's so good. It reminds me of visiting Pakistan, its just broken down to the basics.

What was the most significant thing that happened last year?

Akir: I was recognized as a game changer in the area by the Greensboro Grasshoppers. I went out to the middle of the field at the end of a game to be recognized, and a lot of my friends didn't want me to do it.  "How do you know someone won't throw stuff at you or boo?" they all said. They thought it was going to be dangerous for me, a Muslim, to go out there.  And a bunch of my friends came to the came and were like patrolling the crowd to make sure nothing happened.

But nothing like that happened.  Instead, I looked up at the stands, and people were cheering from all walks of life. It felt good to be an American, and that moment affirmed my belief in this country.



Akir is very optimistic about this country, and his faith in it has not been diminished by recent events. It's inspiring to hear that kind of love and enthusiasm for this place, and it makes you think that no matter the problems that we are facing, if we lean into each other we can make it out the other side. He's working with people that are on the front lines of an issue that will have repercussions for years to come, but he's doing so with a positive outlook and a can-do-attitude.

I respect him for that, and for being able to look beyond differences and to see that at our core, we are all in this country because we want to be defined by the values in which it was founded. It takes work to get there, but with people like Akir out there putting in the time and energy to educate others and to bridge gaps, I'm sure we'll make things better in the end.

January 30th - TJ

I left the Office of Undergraduate Admissions here at HPU in the summer of 2014.  I had spent seven years there, and during that time I grew as a professional, made lasting friendships, and became more confident on the career path that I was heading down.  It was a great opportunity, and I'm thankful to have gotten my start there.

 It's strange for me to go back to that office now, because it's like when you return to your high school or college right after you graduate.  There are still familiar faces, and you remember where all the stuff is, but it's glaringly obvious that life has moved on and is running quite well without you.  It's a humbling experience.

When I moved on to my new role, I missed out on several people that came on board after I left. Some of these people came and went before I was able to introduce myself, and others have become important fixtures on campus. One of those individuals is TJ, and yesterday I got the chance to finally sit down and talk with him.

TJ

TJ has been with the university since November 2014. He initially had the recruitment territory of the entire state of New York, but it grew in popularity so much during his time they had to split it up into different areas.  He now covers Long Island.

TJ: I actually got my start in corporate America, specifically in pharmaceuticals.  I worked for Reynolds American, several other places.

Lars: Are you from this area originally?

TJ: I'm from a military family, so we moved around a lot.  I ended up in the area towards the end of high school and attended North Carolina A&T.

Lars: What got you into working at a college admissions office?

TJ: My mom became sick with breast cancer.  We were living in California, and that brought us back to the east coast. I got a job here in the area as an interim director for an after school program. It was called Operation Xcel, and they did a lot of great work.  The position was just for a set period of time, though, so I started looking for other opportunities after that.

I started taking an HPU management program, and I loved it here.  My professors were great, and I knew it was a place I needed to be. Through contacts that I made in the program, I got my name sent on to the right people in the admissions office and here I am. My first day was at an Open House, so I got thrown right into it!

I love what I do. I'm in the right place, and I'm at the right institution. I love the attention to detail here, and how we invest so much in each student. I love helping students bridge the gap from where they are and where they want to be. And I can handle Long Island people!

Lars: You mentioned that you were from a military family.  What's something that was a positive takeaway from that experience, and what's something that was negative?

TJ: It's a large family and an even larger extended family.  Biologically, I have a twin brother and an older sister.  I also have four other siblings that my parents housed, fed, and considered their own.

I would say that being adaptable was a positive part about being from a military family.  The ability to recognize differences in culture is what makes someone unique, instead of what makes them wrong.

A negative was that Dad went on many international missions and he wasn't able to share much about those efforts.

TJ is passionate about promoting diversity, especially in today's polarized world and on a campus that is working on increasing the makeup of it's population.

TJ: Promoting diversity is important because a lack of diversity between races, sexes, and cultures can incubate mistrust, stereotyping, and more within-culture conversation.  This leads to an inability to endorse ideas, the inability to gain agreement on decisions, and the inability to take united action. Having a diverse student body helps create a realistic setting for the world as it's going to be.  It will also inspire people to grow outside their boundaries and learn something new about a culture they may not be familiar with or thought they knew well.

What's your favorite joke, or something that makes you laugh?

TJ: The older episodes of Family Guy are hilarious, and I have to admit that I like silly dog clips on YouTube!

What's the meal that reminds the most of home?

TJ: Definitely a good breakfast. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, hash brown casserole, grits. Dad traveled a lot, but when he was back home he would make that breakfast for us.

If you could bring back one musician, who would it be?

TJ: Oh, Bob Marley, without a doubt. I think he is extremely relevant and never lost that. He brought an awareness to issues globally. I wish I could have witnessed him live.

What was the most significant thing that happened this past year?

TJ: My wife and I becoming home owners in High Point was most significant (TJ's wife also works here at HPU).  This community is home base for the family we hope to have, and we accomplished a small part of our American dream!

Will the world be better in 20 years?

TJ: If I have a say it will. But honestly,  I don't know if it's gonna be here in 20 years. I don't want to be pessimistic, but things are changing and it seems like we are taking steps back. We are in for a rude awakening if we keep going the way we are going.

Our generation though has the chance to make it better.  We are products of our lives and experiences and our truth.  So if I have a say it will be better, I just hope it's still here!

This is the second to last interview that I'll conduct this month, and I'm glad that it was with TJ.  I've seen him at campus events and at company parties, and he has always been friendly and engaging and enthusiastic.  He's a guy that I really would have enjoyed working with during my time with undergraduate admissions, and I'm hopeful that yesterday's meeting isn't the last one we have. I'm glad that he's a part of this community now and I hope he stays here for years to come (not many people can work with Long Island moms like he can!).

Tune in tomorrow for the final conversation in The Interview Month!

January 29th - Cynthia

As I mentioned in a previous post, I've been getting more interested in finding a church that we can attend as a family.  Elizabeth and I had "church shopped" in the past, and I do think that the one that we visited as a part of this blog will be the one that we end up going to from here on out.

With that said, even if we do find one that we really like and attend regularly, I still want Elliot to experience other faiths and other expressions of faith.  I want to bring him to temples and to mosques, and I most definitely want to bring him back to the church that Elizabeth and I took him to yesterday.

My boss, Andy, heard about my blog this month and set me up with Cynthia, who warmly welcomed us to attend service with her family.  And it was quite the service.

Cynthia

Upon arriving at the church, we met Willie, Cynthia's husband, and their daughter, Katrina.  The Farabees stuck out just a little bit, as we were the only white family there.  We laughed about this, and Willie took us in to meet with Cynthia, who was getting ready to sing as a member of the Voices of Galilee, one of the choirs at the church.

Singing in choirs has been a part of Cynthia's life for as long as she can remember.  Her father was a pastor, which meant that she grew up in the church.  

Cynthia: It was a small church, probably no more than 100 people.  Not like this church!

Cynthia and her family attends the Galilee Missionary Baptist Church and has done so for the past 8 months or so.  Located in a rural part of Winston-Salem, it easily houses over 1,000 people during it's two services.  It's a beautiful, expansive place, with free childcare during worship, classrooms, and a giant meeting hall. The service we attended was special because there was a guest minister there, which had attracted a larger crowd.

Lars: The reason that I wanted to do this project was that I felt like so many people get into their bubbles, and with that we stopped listening to each other.

Cynthia: We still aren't listening.  There's nothing we can't work through, but we have to talk.  We'll never solve all of our issues, but there's so many areas of compromise that I don't understand why we can't move forward.

Take the last administration.  There were so many things that he tried to accomplish and we all got to a point where we stopped talking, so it all came to a halt.  I'm encouraged though that at the grass roots level we are saying we can be better and do better. We are right on the precipice of something bad and it's up to us to come back from that.

I mention that I'm trying to make sure Elliot grows up learning to be respectful of everyone, not just those people who look just like him.  I thought making sure he got to experience other cultures and other ways of seeing things was important.  I told her that we went to the Women's March, and coming to church was another way of us getting him to see a larger part of the world.

Cynthia: It's interesting because when I come to church, that's really the only time I'm actually around black people. The neighborhood we live in is mostly white, and it was jarring at first for Katrina when we came here because she wasn't used to being in this kind of environment. 

Elliot will be a reflection of what you do every day.  It's great that you brought him to the march, but that's an extraordinary thing. It's the ordinary things that will shape him. Who mommy and daddy are will shape who he will become. If you curse, your child will curse. If you disrespect each other, then he'll learn to do that too.

Cynthia's daughter, Katrina, is the Goddaughter of Martha, my boss's wife.  She's a bright, intelligent, funny young woman, and she wants to go into forensic science when she grows up.

Cynthia: We prayed for her for a long time, over eight years.  I'm one of twelve children, and I didn't want to be childless.  So I remember praying a special prayer to God.  I asked Him, "Can you just give me one? I'll love that one child forever, just give me one."

We found out we were going to have twins, but unfortunately lost one of them early on in the pregnancy.  But I didn't grieve, because I knew that it was God checking me.  "You asked for one, here she is."  And I said "I hear you, thank you."  And twelve years later I know that it's a blessing that she's here.

What's the meal that reminds the most of home?

Cynthia: Traditional holiday meals.  Your turkey, your ham, dressing...basically a starch overload. That just reminds me of home.  And we also do it now even if it's not the holidays.  Whenever someone comes back home, that's what we make for them (this was an idea that Elizabeth and I liked a lot and one that we will be implementing when Elliot grows up).

Will the world be better in 20 years?

Cynthia: For some. Hopefully for most. 

Lars: How do we make sure it's better for most?

Cynthia: We have to be engaged. We say the word "they" way too much.  It's "their" fault, or it's up to "them." You should be praying for our leaders, because our leaders just don't lead "them," they lead "us." We need to say "our" more.   These are "our" problems, we need to all work together.  We need to take the word "they" out of our vocabulary and be more active

If you could bring back one musician, who would it be?

Cynthia: Luther Vandross.  His music transcended races and faiths.  It was about feelings and emotions, love and family and loving everyone.  There were tragedies in his family, and his mother had many kids she had to bury.  I would bring him back.



Cynthia had to leave after the interview to sing, so Elizabeth, Elliot and I sat with Willie and Katrina during the service.

It was unlike any church experience I'd ever had.  There was a full band up front jamming out, and for at least an hour there was non-stop, call-and-response singing.  People were encouraged to go up to the front and find healing at the altar.  They were asked to lift their hands and praise God. The woman next to us stood up out of the blue and started dancing a complicated jig.  The woman behind us rocked and whipped her hair back and forth (Elliot kept nudging me and pointing up to her). People clapped after the songs were over, and they shook hands and hugged throughout it (I was used to that only happening after a minister said to spread peace to your neighbor).


Several of the women in the choir next to Cynthia became overwhelmed with devotion that they actually fainted.  Katrina, who was sitting next to me, leaned over.

Katrina: Wow, that usually doesn't happen until later on, this is early!


The service was wonderful, loud and boisterous and thankful.  No matter what hardships they had gone through, the people in that church felt blessed to be alive that day and they wanted to show it in whatever way they could.  Whether that was jumping up at random points of the songs to sing along and wave their hands, or to cry and give thanks, or have several people fan them when they got too hot; no one batted an eye at any of it, it was just a normal service at Galilee Missionary.


At one point, one of the ministers asked if there were any guests.  We stood up and were applauded along with the others who were new to the church. Everyone acted like we were supposed to be there, and it felt incredibly welcoming and comforting.  It was a community that opened up its arms and said that no matter who you were, you were there to give thanks and praise and that's all that mattered.


On our ride home, Elizabeth and I talked about what we had just witnessed.  We decided that the biggest difference from what we had seen at other churches was that, while you have a community, in most churches it's all individual.  You kneel, you pray, and you're very much within yourself.

That wasn't the case at Galilee Missionary.  There, it was a communal effort.  People were held and lifted up and supported in a way that was beautiful and spiritual and inspiring.  Instead of a somber affair, this was a celebration of faith, a joyful, rowdy celebration.  I'm so glad that I got to meet Cynthia and her family, and that we got to share in this experience with them.  It's an experience that I hope to share with Elizabeth and Elliot again soon.

January 28th - Chris

I lived in High Point, NC for a little over 5 years. It was my first place after I graduate from college, and it was an interesting place to begin my adult life.  It's a city built around the furniture industry, which means that for much of the year, it's a ghost town (the furniture market really only takes place a couple of weeks out of the year).

Since I've moved, some cool shops and restaurants have opened up in an effort to make High Point more lively throughout the year.  One of those places is the Brown Truck Brewery on Main Street.  I stopped there on Saturday after I finished a work event, and got a chance to talk with Chris, the bartender.

Chris

Chris has worked at Brown Truck for about nine months.  The brewery itself has been open for eleven months, so he was an early adopter of the place.

Lars: What's your favorite beer that they have on tap here?

Chris: I gotta go with the tart apricot blonde (Brown Truck specializes in a wide variety of brews, but I've found their Belgian inspired offerings to be the best).

As we started talking, the bar got really quiet.  Aside from myself, there were two couples and a single guy there, and when I described my project to Chris, the others at the bar couldn't help over hearing it and chiming in.  The bar was initially silent when I got in, but it quickly turned into a lively conversation.

What's your favorite joke? 

Chris: Well, this one is kinda bad, but this old guy that came in told it to me the other day and I thought it was pretty funny.  It's a little long, but here it goes.

This guy guy walks into bar and asks the bartender for nine shots of Jack Daniels.  The bartender starts pouring them in a row, and says, "What are we celebrating?"

The guy says, "Nothing, I don't want to talk about it."

"Come on," the bartender says, "a man comes in here and orders nine shots of Jack Daniels, he's gotta be celebrating something.  What is it?"

Begrudgingly, the man says, "My first blowjob."

The bartender cheers.  "Hey, that's great! Tell ya what, I'll buy you a tenth shot."

"That's ok," the guy replies, "if the first nine won't get the taste out of my mouth, the tenth won't do it either."

The bar laughed a lot at this one, I told a similarly dirty one that got a lot more groans.  Know your audience...

What's the most significant thing that happened last year?

Chris: For me, it was quitting my job.  I was working as an insurance agent, and I did that for about five years or so.

Lars: Just wasn't for you?

Chris: Yeah, I was looking for a change.  I got really burned out from sales.  It felt like I was on a hamster wheel, just wasn't for me.

Chris has now created a brand called "NC Beer Pride."  He wants to turn it into something like "Salt Life," a lifestyle brand that promotes local breweries and local beers.  His five year plan is to open up his own beer shop or brewery.

Will the world be be better in 20 years?

Chris: I hope. It'll better for some that's for sure.

Couple to my left: No, it's not going to be better.  Well, let me say this, it'll be better for rich people.

Couple to my right: When you get rid of the middle class it hurts everyone, they are the people that drive the bus.

If you could bring back one musician, who would it be?

Chris: I gotta go with Jeff Buckley (I told him that was an excellent choice!)

I can't remember exactly who said it, but people around the bar all shouted out their answers to this one as well.  One person said Janis Joplin, another said he was a Jimi Hendrix man through and through.  A lady at the other end of the bar said Freddy Mercury, and that got the biggest murmur of agreement. Someone else said that they would go with Johnny Cash.

Chris: See, Johnny Cash had a full life.  That's why I went with Buckley.  One album, then out!

The conversation opened up at that point.

Guy to my left: I read somewhere recently that social media is actually rewiring our brains.  Like the part of the brain that used to be able to read maps, that's being shut down for some peopl.

Lady to my right; I heard that too, and it's a shame.  I used to love looking at maps.

Guy to my left: The government paid a lot of money to train me to use one (he was in the military) but now I just press a button and it gets me there.

This lead to a discussion about roads...

Guy to my right: It's interesting to see how roads came about.  I read a really cool book about how a lot of them were just game trails and that's what the roads were started from.

Guy to my left: And then you cruise down the highway and you see these old houses just right on the road.  You know that way back when, before the highway was even thought of, that was a great spot for a house.  Now if you live there you have to look at interstate all day.

Chris and the people in the bar talked about military academies and their kids and their random lives. How certain children take after certain parents.  How the world has been changing, and not necessarily in great ways, but how there's still hope it can be better.

A group of strangers just talking and interacting, instead of staring up a TV or staring down into their beer glasses.  I was happy to have been a part of that, if even for a little bit, and I was glad to have started that conversation going.  That's what this project was about, and as we come into the home stretch, I look forward to see what other conversations are out there.

January 27th - Yum

I've mentioned before that one of the great things about working on a college campus is that I'm surrounded by interesting people.  They're doing research in topics that I had never heard of or had thought possible.  I have no regrets about what I studied in college (it lead me to a life which I would call "wonderful").  However, I see what these people are doing and I am left thinking "Damn, why didn't I pay a little more attention in science class..."

The health professions programs were here for a few years before I moved over to work with them, which meant that I had come into contact with some of those professors before I made the switch to Graduate Admissions.  I sat down for lunch with one of those professors, Yum.

Yum

Right off the bat, I asked Yum where his name came from, and he smiled as if he gets that question all of the time.

Yum: My name is actually Ahn-Dung. In Vietnam, you have dual names, so the first part of the name is something that helps to identify your family.  And in the Vietnamese language, "D" sounds like a "Y."  My family immigrated to the US when I was little and we moved outside of Pittsburgh.  My kindergarten teacher didn't get the accent right for my name, and said "Yum."  That just stuck, and that's what I've gone with since then.

As Yum said, he and his family grew up in rural, western Pennsylvania, and is a Steelers fan through and through (I had to give him crap about my Pats beating his team this year).  Where he grew up was as homogenous as where I grew up in coastal Maine.  Which meant that, including his siblings, there were about six minorities that he went to school with.

I mention that I spent time in New Orleans, which was an eye-opening experience, especially coming from a very white state like Maine.

Lars: I honestly think those years I spent there had the biggest impact on how I see the world.  There was so much diversity, whether it was racial or sexual or whatever, and it made the impression on me how alike people really were.

Yum: You see that's interesting.  When I'm on diversity councils around here, there's so much being made about ethnic and racial minorities and how we need to help them out.  And I completely agree with that.  But what about that white kid that hasn't been exposed to any diversity, doesn't exposing them to different views help them out too?

Lars: Exactly.  I feel that we promote diversity from the standpoint that it helps the under-served, but I feel like everyone has a benefit from being exposed to people that don't look exactly like themselves.

Yum is starting his fifth year at High Point University.  He studied at UNC Greensboro, and was working at College of Charleston when he was called on by the Athletic Training department at HPU to join them.

Yum: I didn't know what athletic training was. Growing up in rural Pennsylvania, if you sprained your ankle you sucked it up and kept on playing.  I was going to go into physical therapy full on, that was it for me. When I got to college, I didn't want to do the biology or exercise science route, and someone suggested that I should do athletic training.  Do that, they said, and it will get you where you need to go.

I did an internship in a sports medicine clinic  that actually was branching out into where a lot of PT focus is now, the elderly.  Most of my clients were over 60, an they would lie to get out of activity because it hurt too much (which I understand!). Athletes, on the other hand, would lie to get back on the field.

I love working with athletes.  And I began to realize that was the group of people that I wanted to work with.  I really loved working with them, so I decided to go away from physical therapy and focus on athletic training instead.

Lars: What was your favorite sport to work with?

Yum: In Pennsylvania, if you were a three sport athlete that meant you played football, basketball, and baseball. That was it, so that's what I grew up with and what I started working with.  

I worked with a basketball team for awhile, and it was great but it was also exhausting.  It was a lot of travel and odd hours and it got to be too much.

If I had to pick a favorite, I'd say that it was men's lacrosse.  This is going to sound a little morbid, but in that sport, a kid could die at any second. And I think that level of pressure and excitement is what drew me to it. Those lacrosse players, they are a little different breed. But hands down they are my favorite to work with.

I mention how I played lacrosse in high school, and how I understand that they were certainly a different breed.  I also admit that I knew early on that while I loved playing sports (I'm a high functioning nerd, which meant I played sports while drawing Star Trek symbols all over my notebooks), I knew I would never move on beyond high school.

Yum: That's interesting because I felt the same way. A lot of people have an aspirations to play in college, but I didn't have that. I loved playing sports but I knew pretty early on that high school was it for me.  Which mean that I had to find a way to stay in sports and combine that with my love of medicine and health care.  And that's where athletic training came in.

We both agree that working with graduate students has been a breath of fresh air in our careers. 

Lars: I loved my undergrads, and I loved getting kids here.  But there's something about working with a graduate student that's different.

Yum: I totally agree.  Graduate programs are great because the students going out for them are making a conscious decision to pursue this profession.

Lars:  Right.  An applicant looking into athletic training or physical therapy or whatever whats to go on and help someone.  Someone getting an MBA wants to move forward in their career. It's exciting to help them with that goal.

What's the meal that reminds you most of home?

Yum: I grew up Vietnamese, so it's pho, hands down.  That's just a staple. You can eat it for breakfast lunch or dinner.

It's interesting because there are a lot of Vietnamese restaurants in Greensboro for as big as that city is, and apparently it's because Greensboro was a huge destination for people fleeing Vietnam after the war.

WIll the world be better in 20 years?

Yum: God I hope so, It has to.  Actually, you know what? I should have reacted to that question like that. "God, I hope so." That's so pessimistic, when really, I don't think that it's as bad as it seems. Look around you. We have great opportunities in our lives.  Admittedly, we need to grow them.  But yes, I think it will be better.

Education has to be a part of that. What we are teaching the next generation needs to improve.  It starts at the elementary school level and continues on right through us in higher ed.  We need to do a better job at preparing them to take on the world.

What was the most significant thing that happened last year?

Yum: I'm going to go with the professional side of things, and I have to say it was getting our first NIH (National Institute of Health) grant. Kevin (in our PT department) got it, and I'm on the project along with Eric (also in the PT department).  The three of us came in thinking we should go for this kind of thing. It will have a huge impact for the health sciences.

This place is amazing, especially the lab.  I'm still having fun with it. I never lose that feeling of walking into the lab and feeling how cool it is. A big part of that is that the right people are there.  They aren't egotistical, even though they have every right to be. 

I was hired as a professor but I get released to do research, and that's where this came in.  My area of focus is adolescent knee injuries, specifically with ACL tears. We've built a pretty strong team here based around that. There are three components to it, and each of us has taken on one segment of that.  There's risk factors, prevention, and rehabilitation. I do more of the identifying of who is at risk. All three of us have complementary ideas and work very well together.

That said, I'm a clinician through and through. I block out hours to work with our athletes. I'm fortunate to have the best of all three worlds between teaching, research and clinical work. Usually you have to choose, and I'm fortunate to be in a position to do all three.

January 26th - Nita

As I said the other day, I'm a bookworm, and that means I'm in the library on campus quite a bit during lunch breaks or as I'm leaving to go home from work.  I've gotten the chance to know some of the librarians, particularly Nita, but I've never had a longer conversation with her.  We'll chat about the movies I'm picking up or maybe our weekend plans, but that's about it.

Yesterday, I actually got to see her office.  In my ten years here I've never been in that room, I've only seen it as I'm checking things out because it's behind the circulation desk.  We talked with her about her time here at HPU, her hopes for the future, and how things have change so much over the years.

Nita

First off, Nita is not actually her first name.  On her name tag, it says La-Nita, but even that isn't quite right.

Nita: My first name is Artanza, but you can't imagine how many people got that wrong.  It's spelled just like it sounds.  But still, people couldn't get that one.  So I just started going by Nita, which is a shortened version of my middle name.

I'll never forget it.  One time, someone called in from a dentist and they asked for Artanza because they were closing up the office for the day and had to cancel my appointment. The student worker that answered the phone said no one by that name worked here.  So I showed up for my appointment and waited and waited, and nobody came because they hadn't been able to reach me!

So now, on the staff directory board, I make sure that my whole name is spelled out, just in case.

In August, Nita will have been with the university for 30 years.  She started a week before she got married, and had to postpone her honeymoon to New Orleans because it was so close to school starting.

 Lars: How did you get into being a librarian?

Nita: It's funny, I worked at my school library in elementary school...when I was going to school there. I just always enjoyed it.

Lars: Wow, so this is a calling then?

Nita: It is, it really is.  I was going to get my masters degree in library science right after I graduated from UNCG with my bachelors degree, but I got into a car accident.  That set me behind quite a bit, and it was tough.  I started working at a travel agency, but really wanted to get back to working in libraries like I had always planned on doing.

I saw an open position at High Point College (it was a college back then, not a university).  And I came in for an interview and didn't get that job.  But they told me that another position was going to open up soon, and to keep my eye out for it.  This was when you could look for jobs in the newspaper.

Well by that time, I was just so dejected for having to have it all pushed back, and I was so tired of looking for jobs, I just thought to myself forget it.  They ran the ad for the job, and I missed it because I wasn't looking for it.  And when I didn't apply, they actually called me.

"Why didn't you apply? We want you for this job!" So I thought if they wanted me that bad it must mean I should work there!

Lars: What's the biggest change that you've seen working here in the library over that time?

Nita: I'd have to say that the automation has to be the biggest change.  I remember having no computers, and then having two little computers.  I used to have to type out overdue notices on these little sheets, it was so time consuming.  I'd get the card from the book and have to match it all up by hand, automation has really helped with all of that.

I remember having to go through Reader's Guide to find articles to help with student research.  Now, getting things online has helped so much with that.

But you know, the students are still the same.  We want to say they want more now and that they're more demanding, but I just find them to be pleasant.  Some say they act like they are in a "give it to me now" generation, but I never see that.  Sure, they get stressed or have bad days, but they're still wonderful to work with after all these years.

Lars: So, I interviewed Trae for the blog a couple of days ago, and we talked about books and all that. I have to ask, as a librarian, are you also a bookworm?

Nita: I hate to say this, because I really do love to read.  But I admit lately I am stuck in front of TV.

I did start reading a book called Negroland (by Margo Jefferson).  It's about this select high society that kept to themselves before the Civil-Rights movement.  It's really interesting.

Something else that I found to be interesting is that working in a library seems to be a family trade for Nita.  Her brother and sister both work in library system. She remembered how her brother would bring home 16mm prints of off the wall horror movies to watch with them all at home.   

We also talked about her daughter, who has also had the chance to see this campus grow over the years.  Nita loves Halloween and horror movies (I point to her brother's influence on that one), and there's a great picture of her daughter all dressed up for one Halloween in Nita's office:

Yup, that's her daughter as Dorothy, running up to the library.  The trees in the background are no longer there, but that pathway looks pretty much the same.

What is your favorite joke?

Nita: My child. She just makes me laugh.  I actually just told my student worker this story...

My daughter comes in one day and says "Mama, I want to be a veterinarian."

And I say, "Well that's great honey, you'll be great at that!"

And she says, "I just don't get it though, Mama.  Why don't they eat meat?"

"That' a vegetarian..."

What's the meal that reminds the most of home?

Nita: I'm from around here, I grew up in the area.  And my grandmother roasts beef no one else can touch. My sister almost came close to it one time, and I said "Oh my it's Mama Mary's roast beef!"

That or her yeast rolls.  You can find some in the freezer at grocery stores, but they just aren't the same.

What was the most significant thing that happened this past year?

Nita: The election, and I hate to see this, but that election. I sit here and think I can't believe this happened. I just shake my head. Every one is entitled to their opinion. I just didn't like the hatefulness that came out of some of it. I don't wish the man any ill will and I want things to work out. There is God, and it will work out.

I just think you have to treat people how you want to be treated. No matter who is in the office, if we all take the time to listen and be kind to one another, then things will be better. 

Will the world be better in 20 years?

Nita: I'm optimistic. Whenever I see these future movies it's this barren wasteland, I don't buy that! You see movies like The Terminator and it looks so terrible. I don't think it will end up like that. That's why I thought the (inauguration) speech was wrong.  It was just so bleak.

I think social media has made some people mean. You don't see the reaction to your words, and that can be a problem.  And also,  I don't want to know minute by minute what you're doing!

As I said, Nita is a big horror movie fan, which is something that she and I have discussed at length before (the new Ouiji sequel was on her desk while we were talking, and i told her about Hush, a movie we watched on Netflix over Halloween that we thought was great).

Nita: I tell people about all of these horror movies and action movies that I like, and it makes me wonder, what do they think about me?! "Geeze, she likes all those movies, what's up with her?!"

I don't think anything is "up" with her. I always look forward to seeing Nita whenever I go into the library.  She's a fixture here at the university, and her warmth and humor brighten up the day.  I hope that she's here for many more years of recommendations, laughs, and insights to come.

January 25th - Al

I really like working at HPU, and the biggest reason for that is the community of people that work here. There's always something really interesting going on on the academic side of things, with professors giving lectures and doing research and bringing in fascinating speakers.  There's great athletic events to attend, and our theater and music departments put on wonderful productions and concerts.

But there's a less "glamorous" side to the university, and it is equally valuable because it helps make this place run.  I'm talking about the people that Mike Rowe would feature on his TV show.  The people building the new facilities where our students will live and learn.  The unsung individuals that serve food in the cafeteria, or answer phone calls from worried parents, or make sure that the shuttle buses run efficiently and effectively.   The people that help to keep this university as pristine as possible, which, based on how our guests rave about this place, sets the bar for other college campus very high.

I always make it a point to say hello to the Campus Enhancement team as they are mowing the lawns or cleaning the buildings, because I feel that they can often be ignored in the hustle and bustle that goes on during any given day at this university.  One of those team members, Al, sticks out for me, and yesterday I got a chance to talk with him for a little bit before he continued on with his shift.



Al

Al is one of the first people I see when I start my day at work.  He is responsible for the maintenance and cleaning of the Millis Center, which is our main athletic building and is next to the building that houses my office.  Millis is home to our basketball and volleyball games, as well as a pool, racquetball courts, offices, classrooms, and athletic training labs. There's a lot to cover and a lot to do, but Al handles it all without a complaint.  He's always smiling when he says hello, and there's something about starting your day with a friendly, warm greeting that gets you ready for whatever challenges await you.

Al has worked here for three years at High Point University.  He started out assigned to one of the residence halls on campus, and did that for about two years.  He's been assigned to the Millis Center for the past year.

Al: I like the people and the environment here.  I mean, it's a job, but I like it.  I clean, do some utility work, it's a little bit of everything. It's always very busy, especially when everyone is back here on campus, like when the students come back from break.

At night I have another job where I clean bowling alleys, day care centers, places like that.  I'm all over the place

Lars: I actually used to do that too.  One summer I worked with my best friend's dad's company, and we cleaned offices and pre-schools.  It's amazing the mess those little kids make!

Al: You're telling me!

Lars: Do you like working here in the athletics center more than working in the residence halls?

Al: I don't know if I like it more, it's just different.  Both working directly with students and not working with them has challenges.  After big games, for example, this place can be a mess.  But the weekends in the dorms were the worst.  Mondays after a big weekend, actually, were the worst.  They got a little...messsy, and I'm gonna leave it at that!  I was over there for two years and this has been a nice change.

Al is from High Point, born and raised.  In fact, the house where he grew up in was purchased by the university several years ago (the area is now a parking lot for employees).

Al: It's crazy how much has changed around here.  It really has been crazy to see it grow up so much.

That growth has included the staff here on campus.  With the Campus Enhancement group, there's about 30 staff members in charge of cleaning the grounds, and that's just on the first shift.

Al: People come and go here, but it's usually around that number.  You miss some of the people that leave, like Brandon (he was the guy that used to be in charge of Millis before Al moved over).

Lars: Oh yeah that's right! I liked Brandon a lot, he had just gotten engaged before he left.

Al: Yup, he's married now and has a kid on the way.  He's a firefighter now.

What's the meal that reminds the most of home?

Al: Man, I can't think of one, and I'm a big eater! I really can't think of anything, probably a little bit of everything. Cube steak, that's my favorite meal.

Will the world be better in 20 years?

Al: I'm hoping so, that's a hard question to answer right now to be honest. I'm kinda scared of Trump, scared of that man, but I wanna see how these next four years go. 

If you could bring back one musician who would it be?

Al: That's a tough one. It's a toss up, but I gotta go with either MJ or Prince.

Lars: Those have been the two most popular this month.  Lisa, over in Norcross, was a huge Prince fan, and that's who she picked.

Al: Yeah, that's probably who I would lean towards.

What was the most significant thing that happened last year?

Al: Personally, I think it's maybe working in the snow.  I'm not used to doing that living around here. My life is boring, I don't do much else than work.

I think what Al and his team did during the recent snowstorm is indicative of the commitment that the Campus Enhancement group has to making this a safe place for students. The snow began falling on Friday, January 6th, and continued throughout the weekend.  Our students were set to arrive on Sunday, January 8th, which of course meant that campus had to be cleared for them to get here.

The Campus Enhancement team dedicated over 870 hours of manpower and had access to 60 tons of rock salt.  They worked through all hours of the weekend to make sure they could get things ready. The university had about eight inches of snow on campus, which is quite a lot for our area (I can already see my Maine friends rolling their eyes at this). By the time our students got to campus, the roads were clear and they were able to get around campus.  It was truly an amazing effort after such a large storm.

And it was all because of the work of people like Al that made it possible for those students returning from break to find their campus home a safe and welcoming place.  It's easy to overlook those efforts sometimes, and to take them for granted.  But this place, and many places like it, wouldn't run without people like Al, and I'm thankful that he's here.