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Post by emmyshaw on Apr 18, 2021 7:13:30 GMT
4/17: Interview with Journey!
Journey was great to talk to and I really enjoyed learning more about her. We both bonded over the slightly less desirable circumstance of online language learning. I learnt that despite her parents speaking fluent Spanish, Journey grew up speaking English at home so she is now learning Spanish. I found out that Journey is really into concerts and already has a few booked for next year, including The Weeknd (which I am very jealous of). It was funny because it actually turned out that in our first year we both went to concerts/festivals with people we barely knew. Journey went to Flog Gnaw with a group of random students after last-minute cancellations. I also learnt that like me, Journey really values the walkability of a city. For that reason, she hopes to live in a bunch of different cities such as New York City for law school (with Columbia as the ideal), and a variety of different cities in Europe for the gap year(s) in between! Journey actually went to Amsterdam, Paris, and Brussels after graduation with her Mom, but hopes to do a similar trip with friends sometime. Journey has the ultimate goal of becoming an International Human Rights lawyer and to be the next Amal Clooney. I thought this was very cool!
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Post by hannasato on Apr 18, 2021 17:29:08 GMT
Hanna Sato - Interview with Chloe Rosenberg, Sunday 4/18:
Today was my first interview so I was a little nervous initially, but as soon as I got on the Zoom with Chloe she was so warm and kind that I felt reassured almost immediately. I was prepared for a cut and dry interview, but it was the farthest from that and Chloe and I were able to have a very fluid and really enjoyable conversation. We discussed several of the organizations that she is a part of on campus, talking about her goals to break the taboo around subjects such as sexuality, sexual wellness, mental health, and stigmas around the LGBTQ+ community. Her passion for all of these issues was very apparent and I loved seeing her enthusiasm. We also both talked about growing up in very affluent neighborhoods and how this often resulted in strained relationships with those in different economic classes. Chloe mentioned her pledge nickname was "Flaming Leftist" which I could definitely see as we talked about the failings of capitalism as it prevents people of differing socioeconomic classes from having strong relationships. One of the topics I deeply enjoyed discussing with Chloe was her time as a part of Random Voices, an all woman's acapella group at UCLA. As someone who loves singing, I have always wanted to join an acapella group and my conversation with Chloe definitely reaffirmed my decision to join one next quarter. Above all, Chloe highlighted how one of the beauties of UCLA is its size, so that people can have the creative freedom to be a part of whatever organizations they feel passionate about and nobody will be paying attention or quite frankly care. She also stressed how joining various organizations enables students to find incredible and diverse communities to be a part of, something I definitely want to explore. I absolutely loved talking with Chloe and look forward to having more politically charged conversations with her in the future!
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Post by hannasato on Apr 18, 2021 18:55:48 GMT
Hanna Sato - Interview with Megan Hoang, Sunday 4/18:
I really enjoyed speaking to Megan throughout rush and was excited for this interview which was really enjoyable. Megan and I talked about her time working for Catharine Baker and the difficulties of working at a Republican's office as a liberal. She also mentioned that Trump was actually elected on her birthday and she had to pretend to be happy about it while working in this position which we both found amusing. She explained that working at a government official's office reaffirmed her decision to not go into politics and instead pursue her passion for social justice. Like me, she is unsure what path of law she wants to pursue but wants it to be something she feels strongly about and where she would be able to help everyday people receive the access to legal assistance that they are entitled to. We also talked about the bonding experience of sharing our lowest lows and highest highs with our pledge class and how it enabled us to look at our pledge class from a different perspective entirely. Also, when I asked what the best skill or piece of information she got out of Kappa Alpha Pi was, she explained how the process forced her to be more confident, whether it be through public speaking or filming a freestyle rap. This really resonated with me, as I would classify myself as an introvert and am working on increasing my confidence, both in a professional and social capacity. Finally, she emphasized how rushing Kappa Alpha Pi was a "miracle," allowing her to find a community at UCLA while still being at home and enabling her to find a place where she felt she belonged. Throughout all of my interactions with active members of Kappa Alpha Pi, this statement has been the common denominator for all of them, that they have found where the belong within this fraternity. I cannot even begin to explain my excitement at being a part of this community if and when I cross and look forward to speaking with Megan and the other active members more!
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zzkhan
Junior Member
Posts: 72
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Post by zzkhan on Apr 18, 2021 23:45:20 GMT
4/18: Interview with Akunnia!
This morning, I had the wonderful chance of speaking with Akunnia and getting to know her better. I was super excited to speak with her because we didn't get the chance to talk during the Big/Little Mixer. We began talking about classes, and just our pledge class in general. I learned that she is currently only doing research/internship classes and I'd love to talk to her more about that. It was really awesome to talk to her about her experiences in pledging, and relating them to mine. It's crazy that we only have 11 pledges - her class had 21! We also talked about the differences in thrift shopping in the Bay Area versus LA, and all about our fashion tastes. That led us into conversation about schooling, because I went to a school that had uniform so we were talking about ways we express our style. Talking about school and family life was super insightful, and I can't wait to have more conversation with her.
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Post by ericrousso on Apr 19, 2021 2:37:34 GMT
4/18- Interview with Claudia
Claudia was so fun to talk with! She had plenty to share, and was very inquisitive about my life as well. She is from Boston and is currently living there, so she was interested in hearing about life in Westwood. She is currently writing an article for the Daily Bruin about housing insecurity and homelessness, and she actually interviewed my big, Chloe, about the subject! Outside of her professional life, she is also very into personality types and astrological signs (although she doesn’t place too much value in them; she just thinks they are fun to look at). She is sad she has lost so much of her time at UCLA to COVID, but she hopes to sublease an apartment over the summer and spend her senior year in LA. I look forward to getting to know her more!
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Post by hannasato on Apr 19, 2021 5:16:32 GMT
Hanna Sato - Interview with Ranhita Bora 4/18:
I was really looking forward to speaking with Ranhita, as I loved her enthusiasm and energy throughout rush and wanted to get to know her more. We talked about our shared interest of cooking and Trader Joe's frozen meals for when we don't have the time to cook full-fledged meals. I was also able to see her dog, Scooter, who she originally fostered through AWFAUCLA but ended up adopting because she grew so attached to him. We also discussed the fact that we have the same two majors, Political Science and Spanish, and are working towards becoming fluent in Spanish. Unfortunately, she was unable to go on her study abroad program to Granada last year due to COVID-19 which she was hoping would boost her confidence in her speaking skills. I spoke to my own experiences going to Spain for the summer a year ago and how it was a steep learning curve that definitely pushed me to work on my Spanish-speaking skills. I really loved speaking with Ranhita, she was very easy to talk to and I loved that she could give me advice towards our specific major set and I hope to talk with her more in the future.
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Post by ericrousso on Apr 19, 2021 18:53:21 GMT
4/19 Interview with Chanel
Chanel was very charismatic and a pleasure to speak to. We talked about a variety of topics, such as the fact that we’re both ambassadors for brands. She is a La Colombe Coffee Roasters ambassador, and she was talking about her requirements for posting and staying in the program. I then told her about the Yerba Mate ambassador program, however (sadly) she informed me she was more of a coffee person than a tea person. We also talked about Model United Nations, as I found out that she does MUN at UCLA, and recently staffed the LA MUN conference this past weekend. She also did MUN in high school as a class, and I told her about how MUN at my school was a club and how very few people actually took it seriously. We then talked about what we had planned for the day, but then she had a meeting to get to so we concluded our Zoom. I look forward to speaking with Chanel in the future!
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Post by elainekim on Apr 19, 2021 19:10:43 GMT
4/19: Interview with Connie
Today I had my first interview with Connie. I wasn't exactly sure how it was going to go since I hadn't done an interview yet, but it was really fun since she was very relaxed and open to talk about anything. I found out that we share a lot of mutual friends and learned a lot about her living situations throughout this year. She was at home during fall quarter but spent winter quarter in Hawaii which she loved. We also talked about how she moved to Westwood for the spring and recently had a first time visit to Santa Monica beach. I was able to share my dorm experience with her and discuss all of the COVID-19 spikes that happened on campus and in the apartments. I also learned that she tried to dye her hair over quarantine but wants to get it done professionally in a brighter color. We talked about my own hair and I was able to recommend a salon to her. I also learned that she used to be interested in the business fraternities which we shared in common and she shared her rush experience with me. I really enjoyed my conversation with Connie and hope to get to talk to her more!
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Post by elainekim on Apr 19, 2021 19:28:18 GMT
4/19: Interview with Chloe
I also just had my second interview which was with Chloe. It was a very productive and funny conversation overall. Thanks to her, I was able to learn that not only is she a commie herself, which we have in common, but that there are many other actives in Kappa Alpha Pi who are as well. I was pleasantly surprised about that and shortly spoke about some political topics. After that, I was able to learn a lot about her involvement with UCLA radio and her new radio show called "Taboo Talks" where she discusses something that is seen as "taboo" in America. It was an idea she pitched to the radio station and it currently has two episodes out. I was also able to learn that she is in Panhellenic greek life here and was able to ask her about her experience in it so far and what she enjoys about her house. We talked about greek life in general here and our thoughts on it. I was also able to tell her about my experience living on campus. Overall, I had a lot of fun speaking with her and felt that I was able to get to know her a lot better!
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Post by ayacohen on Apr 19, 2021 20:31:34 GMT
4/19: Second Interview (with Peter):
I was so happy getting to know Peter better. Even though we went to the same high school, him and I had never really bonded one-on-one before! I quickly realized that he was a super chill person who gave me a lot of pointers about how to become a better pledge. Hearing about his experiences within the big Alpha Nu class was so fun, and the constant "if and when you cross..." prefix to sentences made me motivated to do all my tasks and hopefully cross. I learned a lot about his personal life, like how he is not the biggest fan of social greek life and dropped out on his own. I found that very admirable, because it can be really difficult to drop out of organizations that you previously thought would be such a great fit. We also talked about the intersections between his and my personal life, like how we both talk to the same people from PVHS! It was comforting to know that I have someone in KAPi who understands my lifestyle and high school experience.
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Post by ericrousso on Apr 19, 2021 20:34:21 GMT
4/19 Interview with Journey
Elaine and I had a wonderful conversation with Journey. We talked a lot about housing at the beginning and our housing preferences. Journey said that she wants to move into university apartments next year, and she is currently living in an apartment but a bit detached from campus. We also talked about some of our favorite food spots around LA, and she recommended her favorite sushi place in Calabasas and a good pizza place she had recently. I’m looking forward to trying out her recommendations. We talked about TikTok for a bit, and questioned why certain TikTokers ever became famous in the first place. She also showed us her Kappa Alpha Pi letters, which gave me a motivation boost to keep at it with the pledge process and reminded me that it will pay off. Overall, I enjoyed the conversation and I hope to continue getting to know Journey!
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Post by elainekim on Apr 19, 2021 20:34:25 GMT
4/19: Interview with Journey
Journey was very kind and welcoming. Eric and I were able to talk to her about a lot of different topics. I learned that she had always been interested in the entertainment industry and acting when she was younger. She would attend different extra casting calls and even auditioned for two Disney channel show parts. Journey also shared her knowledge about entertainment companies and casting websites so I was able to find out more about how that process works. We also talked about different food places we've been to like Nobu and she gave us a sushi and pizza place recommendation. I learned that she is a big fan of brunch and is always down to go. Another thing we talked about was tik tok and how she got it right before the start of quarantine. We also had time to talk about the pledge process so far and learn that just like us, she felt stressed out at the very start which was reassuring. This interview was really fun and I loved getting to know Journey more!
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Post by ayacohen on Apr 19, 2021 20:35:56 GMT
4/19: Third Interview (with Akunnia):
I have to begin by saying that I LOVE AKUNNIA. She has been my rock ever since I first moved to Westwood, and made my freshman year experience so much more joyful. Being disconnected from her throughout my pledge process has already been difficult, so this interview was a breath of fresh air. We talked so much about our favorite experiences in middle and high school, and I was so surprised to hear some juicy secrets about the staff members. She asked me about how I feel about my pledge class, and I told her how much I love everybody here! She also recommended to me dorm halls to live in for next year, and I am crossing my fingers I get De Neve or Hedrick. By the end, we were just chatting about how much we really miss talking with one another, and how hopefully I will be able to cross and learn more about her experience. I am jealous towards anyone who got Akunnia as a big, and hope that I can find time to speak with her again!
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Post by ayacohen on Apr 19, 2021 20:39:06 GMT
4/19: Fourth Interview (with Lillan):
Out of all the interviews I had so far, my interview with Lillan went the smoothest. It was as if her and I had been friends for a while! We first started by talking about some of our hobbies, where I confessed that I could not ride a bike. She gave me the idea to try practicing at night so nobody could see me, which I think is the best idea I've heard. As conversation progressed, I realized we both are not the biggest movie/TV people; both of us find it hard to stay committed to the characters and longevity of the show itself. Lillan and I bonded heavily over our middle school emo phase, where Panic at the Disco! and All Time Low ruled our lives. I learned that she was adopted as well, which was really interesting to hear about her family dynamic in a completely white family. Lillan is someone I definitely want to get to know better, and I hope I can cross and become a close friend of her's!
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zzkhan
Junior Member
Posts: 72
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Post by zzkhan on Apr 19, 2021 20:57:01 GMT
4/19: Interview with Chloe:
This morning, I had an awesome time conversing with Chloe, my big! We got to have some wonderful conversation about her involvement in Sexperts, an organization I've been interested in since coming to UCLA. We delved into a conversation about the intersectionality of womanhood, gaining insight from each other. We talked about art and further talked about UCLA Radio, too. I can't wait to have more amazing conversations with Chloe. As well as this, we talked about her Community Engagement and Labor Studies Minor and her experiences in classes. All in all, I love Chloe's amazing attitude and welcoming nature; I am so excited for this friendship to continue!
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