Interview Transcript

Brandon Urbina

Maddie Kahl

ENC 2135-142

6 February 2018

Transcribed Interview

Brandon: So I don’t really know how to start this, umm todays the first of February and I’m here with Odalyz Guzmin. You can just say your name, position, major stuff like that

Odalyz: Okay so um my names Odalyz, I’m currently on programming board, I’m a sophomore um doing the IMS program, it’s a new pre med major, so its fun

Brandon: Oh yeah, that sounds cool. Alright so um I chose you to interview today because of your position in HLSU and that’s what I’m going towards for my chosen community for my research essay, and um so I’ll just start off. Why did you get involved with HLSU?

Odalyz: I got involved just because like I saw them at the involvement fair and I was like “Oh I’m Hispanic” but I was also like “am I Hispanic enough?” and like I struggled like that for a couple of weeks and then I just came in and then it was like yeah its fine.

Brandon: Yeah like you just joined in (laughs). Why do you think its important to have a community like HLSU here at FSU?

Odalyz: I think at FSU we have a lot of people who are from…and where Tallahassee is kind of a culture shock, so there’s not a lot of Hispanics here as opposed to where people are originally from so like I’m from Orlando Florida, I know a lot of people from South Florida. So like Tallahassee is like a real culture shock, I think its important to like have a kind of home away from home where you can like get away from like steeping into a PWI and like be with people who look like you, who share the same experiences as you, and just be around people who you can really connect with.

Brandon: Yeah I know like um first time getting here, it was like really, like how you were saying a culture shock, its just like a lot of different people and cause like I grew up in Hialeah so like everyone just spoke Spanish, and here like nobody speaks anything and everybody just looks the same and so like it kind of made me feel uncomfortable in the beginning? So yeah, being Hispanic, do you feel comfortable being at a predominately white university?

Odalyz: Umm at the beginning not so much just because like I didn’t see myself around me, like I didn’t see people who look like me and professors that looked like me, like theres not a lot of people who like who look Hispanic a lot of them, theres a big population of them here but a lot of them are really white passing, so it doesn’t look like theres a lot, but there actually is and like its kind of uncomfortable honestly just to be like, that much of an minority or like feel like that much of a minority especially when you come from a place of a lot of culture depending on your city.

Brandon: Was FSU’s location a big change from your hometown? If so, what struggles did you face from the transition?

Odalyz: It is a big change. Like Orlando’s more city and this is kind of like not?

Brandon: Like more country

Odalyz: Yeah, more of on the country side, definitely, and like um there isn’t like a lot to do? You know what I mean? Like theres a lot of night life if you wanna go all out, but like there isnt a lot like the city doesn’t have alot going on you know? Like in those bigger citys theres a lot of events like the city hosts events and theres a lot of events at parks and like theres a lot of city stuff and more like wholesome things you can do. But like here its like “Night life!” and like “Football!” and like very FSU, its like just a basic collegetown so that’s like kind of frustrating and weird. What was the next part?

Brandon: (laughs) umm like if you faced any struggles from the transition of your hometown.

Odalyz: Um the food. Like there’s not a lot of like Hispanic food or Hispanic restarunts and if there are then like

Brandon: They’re not cooked right

Odalyz: Yeah like I know when I want homecooked food, I try to go out, but they don’t satify me like my moms homecooked food would. So like definietely the food and like starting to feel comfortable, like I wouldn’t really like speak in my classes number one because they were like humonogeous but also cause like its just uncomfortable. Like I keep coming back to that word, but it was just super uncomfortable! And I was like “ughhh” but now like I easily like speak up in my classes a lot more.

Brandon: Yeah, umm Do you think Hispanics are given the same opportunity as others here at FSU?

Odalyz: mmm that question, uhhhh I mean technically yes, but in reality no. I say that because um like technically like all oppurtunities are there? But its like

Brandon: Its not easily accessible

Odalyz: Exactly like the access to them is not the same. So um like once again that