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Post by hannasato on May 8, 2021 6:33:49 GMT
Interview with Adrian Pagan - 5/7:
I had a very entertaining interview with Adrian this afternoon, I really enjoyed getting to know him more and look forward to speaking with him more if and when I cross. We talked a lot about our shared love of Marvel films and the new TV shows, specifically Captain America and the Winter Soldier and WandaVision. Also, we both enjoy the Star Wars films and he recommended I watch the Clone Wars and Mandalorian which I just downloaded for my flight so I'll see if his recommendations pan out (just kidding I wrote this when I was sitting in the terminal and actually ended up sleeping the whole time but I will watch it I promise). Adrian was entertained by the idea of my new personal mission to become a Super Smash god through my daily trainings and explained how he constantly dominates the game with Kirby, so I am looking forward to the challenge. I told him about my other personal mission to be able to lift more than the men at my gym as well and he challenged me to an arm wrestling contest so we'll see how that progresses if and when I cross. I was also pleasantly surprised to hear that Adrian knew a lot about Korean and Japanese food and that he views himself as being very accomplished with chopsticks. I had a lot of fun with our interview, I hadn't even realized two hours had flown by when we finished. We had a lot of entertaining and genuine conversations which helped me get to know him better and made me all the more excited to cross so I can continue to get to know him more.
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Post by hannasato on May 9, 2021 7:45:21 GMT
Interview with Ira Phatak - 5/8:
I was initially very nervous about my interview with Ira, given her position in the fraternity, but very quickly fell into easy conversation with her. Ira and I had a lot of shared interests, specifically a love for Game of Thrones, BROCKHAMPTON, making extensive playlists, and coffee. We talked a lot about Game of Thrones and our favorite scenes, character arcs, songs, iconic lines, battle scenes, and storylines. Also, we both felt similarly disappointed by how the series ended but are looking forward to the release of the prequel series next year. I mentioned that I loved her music taste because my adopted big, Michael had played me a few of her playlists and I realized we like a lot of the same artists. We talked about our favorite BROCKHAMPTON songs and our thoughts on the new album, as well as how we both want to go to one of their concerts because they are apparently supposed to be insane and have super fun mosh pits. Overall, I really enjoyed getting to learn more about Ira; she told me that even though she is the president of Kappa Alpha Pi, she does not want the pledges to be afraid of her and is excited to get to know us more. I appreciated her kindness and warmth immensely, she made the interview feel like talking to a friend and I had a lot of fun speaking with her.
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Post by hannasato on May 9, 2021 19:09:58 GMT
Interview with Aman Sankineni - 5/9:
I laughed a lot throughout my interview with Aman, our conversations were very entertaining and I really enjoyed getting to know him more. We talked a lot about how Westwood's late-night food game is subpar at best because there aren't a lot of restaurants open, but how Duffl can be incredibly useful in desperate times. Also, we talked about how the food in Westwood, in general, isn't the best and most of the options are overpriced; Aman has a vendetta against Cava specifically because of their prices but loves Kazu Nori, Ami Sushi, Hangry Moons, and Bibigo. Aman was also able to speak to how great the dining hall food is at UCLA which made me more excited to live in the dorms next year and try it for myself. I thought it was hilarious that Aman is determined to pick up a freshman next quarter for his little just so he can continue going to the dining hall, but it just proved to me how great the food really is. We also talked about my adopted big, Michael, and how he is Aman's spike ball partner. Mira has always spoken highly of Aman's spike ball skills which is very high praise considering she credits herself with bringing spike ball to Kappa Alpha Pi. I really enjoyed myself throughout my interview with Aman, he was hilarious and we had a lot of similar opinions in terms of Westwood's food, living in overly cramped apartments, and the dorm life experience. I am looking forward to continuing to get to know him more throughout the pledging process and to see if he really is the spike ball god he and Mira claim he is.
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Post by hannasato on May 11, 2021 7:30:15 GMT
Interview with Claudia Marza - 5/10:
I was looking forward to my interview with Claudia because I hadn't had the chance to speak with her and also had yet to discuss working on the Daily Bruin with any of the active members. Both Claudia and I joined the Daily Bruin news intern program during the fall quarter and talked about the similar struggles we have had writing articles, finding interviews, and prioritizing our work for the newspaper. I was glad to hear I was not alone in struggling to remain proactive with my articles but enjoyed being able to talk about what articles we had written and the two I am currently writing. Claudia asked me about what my TikTok For You Page looked like and what side of TikTok I am on which I thought was a really fun question - we both have a lot of Sebastian Stan-related videos on our pages, even though Claudia didn't even know that he was in several of the Marvel films and even has his own show now. I encouraged her to actually watch all the movies and that even though some of them aren't the best, the culmination of years of MCU films in Endgame is absolutely incredible. Claudia also asked me about my music taste and confessed that not only does she have Apple Music (she does have Spotify though) but she also loves country music. I was in full support of her affinity for country music because my roommate has recently gotten me into it and she gave me a few recommendations. My interview with Claudia flew by, even though we had never spoken before she was incredibly easy to talk to and our conversations never faltered. I am excited to continue to get to know her more throughout the pledging quarter!
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Post by hannasato on May 11, 2021 16:56:48 GMT
Interview with Amy Vandyken - 5/11:
My interview with Amy honestly was really insightful and made me reconsider what I want to major in. One of the things I was most excited to talk to Amy about is her Disability Studies minor because I am passionate about disability rights and have participated in a skiing program for individuals with disabilities for a few years now. Amy is also very passionate about disability rights and is aiming to be more informed about the proper vernacular to use when describing various disabilities and understanding different physical and mental disabilities more. Hearing her talk about some of the classes she had taken and found very helpful and has made me consider if I should also add a Disability Studies minor. Amy and I also talked about our similar fears with returning to in-person school because we have gotten used to the online format of classes and how most midterms and finals are open-note and take-home which usually does not happen. We also talked about what organizations we were hoping to join next quarter and the ones we are currently a part of. Overall, I had a very enjoyable interview with Amy and found it very helpful in thinking about if I want to pursue a minor or not and am looking forward to getting to know her more in the future.
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Post by hannasato on May 11, 2021 17:38:57 GMT
Interview with Taylor Han - 5/11:
I was very excited to have an interview with Taylor and talk about some of our shared interests. Taylor was happy to hear that her passion for astrology has become well-known throughout our pledge class and I was interested to hear more about how she originally became interested in astrology. I am also interested in astrology and always trying to learn more about it as well as becoming more familiar with tarot card readings, crystals, and manifestations so I enjoyed getting to discuss this topic with her. Taylor and I realized we had taken the same GE course, Issues in Human Physiology: Diet and Exercise so we were able to speak to our thoughts on the class and how it was a very useful class because it is so applicable to everyday life. I hope to speak with Taylor more throughout the pledging quarter and am looking forward to learning more about her if and when I cross into the fraternity.
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Post by hannasato on May 11, 2021 17:47:21 GMT
Interview with Mira Khosla - 5/11:
My interview with Mira was a great change of pace today because I had so many interviews lined up, instead of trying to get to know her we could casually chat because I feel like I already know her pretty well because she is my big. We both went home for Mother's Day so we talked about what we did with our families, the friends we were able to see, and random things we did throughout the weekend. I feel like I was a lot more productive because I was at home and got to catch up on a lot of work I was behind on, but Mira felt the opposite and procrastinated a lot of assignments. I showed her my dad's stuffed llama I had told her about which she really enjoyed especially because the llama is literally more than half of my body and is just an utterly bizarre thing to have. We also planned what activities we wanted to do when I come back to Westwood tomorrow like cooking together, going to eat Indian food, doing karaoke in Koreatown, and a bunch of other random plans. Even when Mira first became my big, talking with her was always incredibly natural and I feel like that has been a good sign that even when I am not calling her every day to freak out about pledging, we are still going to be close friends. I feel like I learn new things about her every time we speak so I am looking forward to continuing to get to know her throughout the pledging quarter and hopefully beyond.
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Post by hannasato on May 11, 2021 21:03:18 GMT
Interview with Anita Ramasastry - 5/11:
I had a super fun interview with Anita today, I was excited to talk with her because Vidya always speaks so highly of her and she definitely lived up to and even exceeded all of Vidya's hype. She asked me about the pledge class, bonding with my pledge brothers, and our missions. It was nice to talk with her about these things because she recently experienced the same process and understood a lot of the stress and time management issues I mentioned. Anita also complimented me on my performance for our imitation video which I appreciated and we talked about our favorite clips from the video, specifically Vidya's imitation of Nathan. She also asked about Mock Trial and I told her that we are all feeling a little anxious about it because it's coming up but overall I am excited for the active body to see it and there are a lot of funny moments within the testimonies. Overall, just being able to go through the parts of the pledge process that make me nervous with her was really helpful, she was very supportive and positive which made me hopeful for our Mock Trial performance and the remaining two weeks of pledging. I enjoyed getting to know Anita immensely, she was very easy to talk to and I am hoping to learn more about her throughout the quarter and if and when I cross.
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Post by hannasato on May 12, 2021 0:37:15 GMT
Interview with Hannah Daggy - 5/11:
Today I had a great interview with Hannah despite some internet issues on my end. We discussed a lot of our shared interests, such as brunch, pizza, and going to Melrose Trading Post. Both of us really enjoy going to brunch at different spots throughout Los Angeles but agree that brunch is usually too expensive to be a regular occurrence. I recommended she try cooking her own brunch with friends which I have done a few times and really enjoyed, but Hannah mentioned cooking isn't one of her favorite activities and she prefers eating her frozen pizzas. On that note, we talked about how we both have started eating a lot more pizza since coming to college and I recommended Domino's $6 pizza deal which I admittedly order too much. Hannah talked about how she Aaron Hull at Melrose Trading Post which made the trip worth the unreasonably priced ticket and we both talked about how going to Melrose is a fun experience but not something to do regularly because literally nothing there is affordable even though it is supposed to be a thrifting market. I really enjoyed getting to know Hannah and discussing some of our shared interests and experiences.
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Post by hannasato on May 16, 2021 22:25:51 GMT
Interview with Caroline Hsu - 5/14:
I had a really fun interview with Caroline, I remembered how easygoing and funny she was during rush and throughout the pledge quarter, so I was excited to speak with her. We talked a lot about the social scene in Westwood and how she is trying to cram in a year's worth of socializing into only one quarter. I told her that I felt a similar desire to constantly interact with people when I first arrived in Westwood, but am now happier staying in. Caroline also talked to me about the stresses of pledging and provided some words of reassurance about the pledge process and our Mock Trial performance. She also talked about her relationship with my co-little, Connie which was fun to hear about and made me excited to spend time with the two of them if and when I cross. Overall, I had a great interview with Caroline and I am looking forward to speaking with her more in the future.
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Post by hannasato on May 16, 2021 22:32:46 GMT
Interview with Jessica Cen - 5/13:
I was looking forward to my interview with Jessica a lot because I know she and my big, Mira were a part of the same pledge class and are very close. We discussed some of her professional experiences that I was hoping to learn more about, as they align with my interests and goals for the remainder of my undergraduate career. Jessica currently serves as a research assistant for the UCLA Department of Global Studies which I was very excited to hear about because I am really hoping to participate in research projects in future years. Also, we were able to discuss our shared experiences with working in media, as Jessica worked for UCLA Student Media and I currently work as a reporter for the Daily Bruin. I look forward to speaking with Jessica more in the future!
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Post by hannasato on May 17, 2021 22:24:24 GMT
Interview with Peter Chelebian - 5/17:
I had a very entertaining interview with Peter this morning which I had been looking forward to since I always loved our Mock Trial meetings and the comedic relief Peter would bring every Monday night without fail (honestly I don't know what I am going to do with myself tonight). Peter and I talked about his adopted little and my pledge brother, Eric, specifically his past and upcoming aftermath performances and hilarious inability to sing. We also talked about all of the different families and in the fraternity and how we want to expand our lines. If and when I cross, I need to expand Legal Tenders because we are a small family and Peter wants to create his own line to the point that he can almost start a new family within the fraternity. Overall, I had a lot of fun being able to discuss the social aspects of the fraternity and our relationships with our pledge brothers; I feel like every interview I have makes me that much more determined to cross into the fraternity and I definitely felt that way with Peter, I loved getting to know him and am excited to speak with him more.
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Post by hannasato on May 18, 2021 1:06:19 GMT
Interview with Loren Sim - 5/17:
Today Kylie and I had a joint interview with Loren which was super fun since I hadn't had the opportunity to speak with her and was eager to get to know her. Loren asked us who our first interviews had been with and how our perspectives on interviews have changed. We all agreed we were initially nervous and had prepared interview questions but found it was better to have a conversation instead, in order to get to know the actives better. Also, we discussed our favorite TV shows, Loren really likes Friends and talked about the upcoming reboot and I found out she also likes New Girl and Game of Thrones which are two of my favorite shows. Kylie, Loren, and I all talked about our experiences with getting our hair dyed and what colors we all want to do next. Overall, Kylie and I were able to talk to Loren about a lot of different topics which I feel helped me get to know her a lot better. I look forward to speaking with her more in the future if and when I cross.
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Post by hannasato on May 18, 2021 2:56:21 GMT
Interview with Mihir Rai - 5/17:
I got the chance to talk to Mihir today which I was looking forward to since Alexis is always hyping his big up. Mihir and I talked a lot about amusement parks and wanting to go to Disneyland to see the new Marvel campus when it opens. Mihir also mentioned he wants to have members of the fraternity go to a Halloween Haunt next year at an amusement park which I was hesitant about as I am emotionally scarred from the last time I went to one. We also talked about our middle school Minecraft phases, our favorite servers to play on, the groups we would play with, and how weird it is to think that we were legitimately playing Minecraft with strange old men and thought it was normal. But reminiscing about Minecraft made both of us rather nostalgic and brought back a lot of fun memories. Mihir and I also talked about our favorite Marvel films, our thoughts on the new MCU shows, and our favorite TV shows. We both gave each other a lot of new recommendations which was cool and overall I had a lot of fun talking with Mihir and definitely understand why Alexis is always fangirling about him (sorry to expose you, Alexis). I am excited to speak to him in the future and hopefully play Minecraft with him.
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Post by hannasato on May 18, 2021 5:50:19 GMT
Interview with Carter Walling - 5/17:
Interviewing Carter was honestly a great way to end my day, I was really looking forward to our interview and it did not disappoint. Right off the bat, Carter made me laugh and was very entertaining throughout our interview. We talked about how we are from the same area and went to neighboring high schools, but thankfully he did not go to my rival high school otherwise our interview could have had some unforeseen complications. We discussed the transition from the Bay Area to Westwood and the freedom coming to college brought. Carter asked me about my plans for housing next year and hyped up the dorm experience as well as the dining hall food, specifically everything except for B-Plate. Throughout the interview, our conversation never really faltered, I genuinely had a lot of fun getting to learn more about Carter and I felt like I was just talking to a friend throughout the call. I say this in every interview journal but it is true, each of my interviews makes me more determined to cross and I can definitely say the same for Carter, I am very much looking forward to speaking with him more in the future.
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