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.

January 24th - Trae

I'm a bookworm, which means that one of the great perks of working for a university is access to all of the materials that they have here.  Movies and records and journals and articles, and of course stacks and stacks of books, all at my fingertips.

I've gotten to know a few of the librarians quite well.  They'll request items for me (mostly comic books), and we'll chit-chat about how things are going in our respective areas.  We'll talk about our favorite movies or if a new book has come out that we have to read.  In another life, I was a librarian, so I consider them "my people."

One of the librarians I don't get to see too often because he works the midnight to 8am shift here on campus, and I am am usually not here during those hours.  So when he got off of work yesterday, Trae, the librarian in question, and I sat down to talk before he went home.




Trae

Trae grew up in the area and has been working at working at HPU for six years.  He started here on an internship for a year, and then moved to working full time.  He attended Guilford College for his undergraduate degree, and then went to UNC Greensboro for his two masters degrees (one in Conflict and Peace Studies, and the other in Library Sciences).

Lars: What made you go into being a librarian?

Trae: It was a stop gap on the road to something else, to be honest, but I really enjoy it. I skipped a few grades growing up, so I graduated early. My original intention was to be a couples and family counselor, but I realized no one would come to me because I was too young.  I didn't have the life experience on my own so I wouldn't be taken seriously.

I got a scholarship for the library sciences degree, so I thought okay, I'll do that next.  It has helped me with research skills towards possibly working on a PhD one day.  I'd like to get back to that counseling role, because I have zero interest in teaching.

We talked about my own experience in working here at High Point University, and it came up that Trae thought that I was a professor.

Trae: Wait, what? You're not a professor? You talk and explain things that way, I really thought you were.

So I have found my calling.  I'm not actually going to get my PhD or become a professor.  Instead, I'm just going to make people think that I have or think that I am.

As I mentioned, Trae works the night shift at the library. 

Lars: What's that like? Was it an easy transition to make?

Trae: I've always worked the night shift here, and it took me about a month to get used to it.  I like not having to deal with traffic on my way into work. I keep a similar schedule as first shift people. I usually make all of my meals, so that's what I'll do first when I go home.  I'll catch up on TV from the night before.  Then I'll have some chamomile tea and get to sleep around 2pm.

I like that I'm doing something a little unconventional. The library at night is a different place. I'm my own boss at night. I get to make all of the decisions, which is nice. And I feel that I am uniquely suited to work with those late night students hopped up on Mountain Dew and not at their best. I can use my peace and conflict background to bring them back to center.

What's your favorite joke?

Trae: I don't really have a favorite joke, but I do like this classic line.  So Bette Davis and Joan Crawford had a feud for decades, and they hated each other  After Joan Crawford dies, Bette Davis was asked how she felt. 

And she said, "You're only supposed to say good things about the dead. Joan Crawford is dead. Good."

What's a meal that reminds you of home?

Trae: My mom makes mac and cheese differently than other people and it's different than any other mac and cheese that I've had before.  She uses chicken stock instead of boiling water, so it makes it really creamy and thick, it's so good.

Will the world be better or worse in 20 years?

Trae:  Better. Yes. More than likely better.  I think that there will probably be a series of natural disasters will finally push us towards dealing with climate change. It'll too hard to ignore. The fact that there is a debate on it now incenses me to no end. It effects everyone and everything. That shouldn't be politicized.

What's the most significant event that took place last year?

Trae: I turned 30. And that meant that I got to leave behind a lot of stuff from my 20s that I didn't want anymore. I got to look forward to the next phase of my life.  My life will still be eventful but in less harrowing ways, which I'm really looking forward to. It's nice to look back from my last significant birthday, which was 21, and see how much I've grown, That makes me feel better about growing older.

Our conversation turned to recommendations for books and movies and TV shows (as it should with any librarian).

Trae: I read a lot of comic books, but I'm trying to get more into novels again. I had a conversation with a coworker about this the other day and I decided that I need to be reading more novels.  It comes from looking for more challenging TV.

Something I haven't got into but I know that I should is Twin Peaks.

Lars: You haven't seen Twin Peaks?! You've gotta check it out.  It always amazed me that a show like that was on broadcast, network television, it looks nothing like what was on at that time.  And now they're making a new miniseries of it!

Trae: I know, I've got cultural FOMO, I've got to check it out.

Trae: I've actually got a short existential question for you.\

Lars: Let's hear it.

Trae: Ok, what killed my love of reading novels was Atlas Shrugged.  I'm reading it and the whole time I'm thinking "I hate this, I hate this, I hate this."  So, my question is, what makes a good book?

Lars: Wow, that's a good one.  I've gotten to a point in my life where I will give a book a shot for a chapter or two.  But if it doesn't hook me in pretty quickly, I put it aside.  I have a finite amount of years and an infinite amount of books, so I need to make sure I'm using my time wisely.

I think it's the dialogue and the characters that make something worth reading. If I can believe the dialogue, if it's interesting or exciting or different, then I'll keep reading.  And if the characters are interesting or exciting or different or I want to root for them, then I'll keep reading.

Lars: Do you have a book that you've read recently that you would recommend?

Trae: The Devourers by Indra Das.  The author is an Octavia Butler Scholar and I've been reading all her books so I thought I would give this one a shot.

This is a gross simplification, but it's about pansexual werewolves...

Lars: You had me at pansexual werewolves...

Trae was incredibly dry and witty and was a blast to talk to.  He gave me great recommendations (I've already checked out the podcast he loves about a son who reads his father's poorly-written, erotic novella chapter by chapter and it's hilarious). He also gave me insight into what goes on here at the university after I go home.

He gets to witness students that are stressed out and at their wit's end.  They're trying like hell to finish up a paper that is due in just a few hours, or they're pulling all-nighters to study for exams that could decide their fate in a certain class that could have implications for if they graduate on time.  It's good to know that there's someone like Trae there at the library desk, to offer counsel, advice, and maybe a wise crack that can help bring those students back off the ledge.