Random Student Interview: April 6, 2011

What do you do on campus?

I’m like not really involved in much because I’m a senior.

So what do you do all day?

I go to class some days. Other days I probably go to the bar. Um, I study sometimes. I try to study, but I’ve been bad lately about that.

Do you have a job for next year?

Not yet.

Do you know what you want to do?

I want to do human resources or public relations.

Do you know where you want to live?

New York.

Why New York?

Because I’m from there.

Where are you from?

I’m from Connecticut, from like right outside of New York.

That’s not New York.

But I’m right outside. I’m like an hour by train.

It’s a different state.

Not really though.

Do you exercise at all?

I do exercise, but I don’t like run outside. I usually do like treadmill, elliptical. I’ll do like free weights. I’m working on getting some bigger guns, but it’s not going so well.

Have you ever done jazzercise?

No, I do Zumba. I love Zumba, it’s awesome. I recommend it — with Jane, Fridays 6 to 7.

What is Zumba like?

Zumba, it’s a lot of African Latina beats and a lot of shaking your body, moving your arms, a lot of arm exercises so it’s good for me.

Sounds pretty good. What kind of bars do you like to go to?

I like the usual. I love Ricks. I like Charley’s. I’m not that big of a Skeeps fan anymore. I feel like I’ve outgrown it. I go to Brown Jug sometimes, Blue Lep.

Do you usually go on regular nights — like Thursday through Saturday — or do you tend to go Mondays and Tuesdays?

I’m going out tonight actually, I wasn’t going to.

Where are you going?

I think I’m going to go to BTB and Charley’s tonight. I want 80 cent drinks, really badly.

What classes are you taking now?

I’m taking art history, I’m taking Latin American studies, I’m taking the like IGR Dialogue Race and Ethnicity and I’m taking, oh, like an African art class.

Which is your favorite of them?

Um, I like the art history class, but the teacher is, like, really bitchy.

How so?

She’s just, like, angry all the time. She just randomly yells at people. She’ll be, like, “I know you’re on your laptop looking at Facebook. Stop it.” And someone might not be doing that, but she calls everyone out. It’s horrible, it’s really bad.

Why do you like the class so much?

I like the material, I don’t like her. I like the subject matter.

Did you see Obama kicked off his campaign for re-election?

Oh did he? I’m not really into him.

Really? Why not?

I don’t really like what he’s doing with, like, Middle East, and I don’t like really what he’s doing with education. I’m just not a fan of him. I’m a really big Israel supporter, and he in his campaign was all about Israel and creating peace, and he’s just not doing that.

Who did you vote for?

I voted for McCain. I don’t like Palin. I don’t think she’s an intelligent person, but I liked McCain, some of his issues, more. I’m more of a moderate. I’m not liberal, I’m not conservative, I’m, like, in the middle so I was like…Obama, McCain, Palin’s the worst, but I don’t know. I just like McCain.

Do you like the old man thing?

Um, not really. I mean if that’s what some people are into that’s cool. But no I don’t like the balding thing. I like hair.

OK.

Yeah, hair’s good. And he’s very, very white. Like super white.

Kind of pasty.

Yeah a little pasty. He needed to like, when he was in Arizona with all his people loving him, he probably should have gotten a little tan going.

There is a study that says taller people with good hair tend to do better in business.

I believe that. I definitely believe that.

Do you like Obama’s hair? There’s not much there.

Not much, yeah, he’s O.K. He’s a, he’s a decent looking guy. I’ll give him that.

How about Michelle?

I would not mess with her in like an alley. I would be more scared of her kicking my ass than Obama. Like, those guns are like crazy.

Maybe she does Zumba also.

I think she does.

I think she’d be really into it.

I think we would have a lot of fun doing Zumba together. I feel like I should like talk to her about that.

How do you feel about Snyder for commencement speaker?

I’m very upset about it.

Why?

Because, first of all, it’s boring. We should have gotten a celebrity because we had Obama last year.

Who would you have liked instead?

I wanted John Stewart. Everyone in my grade wanted John Stewart. We were all hoping for him because Colbert is going to Northwestern to speak, so we were like “Oh, we’ll definitely get Stewart,” and there was an article in the Daily about like getting him, and I was like “Oh, it’s going to happen.”

But it was just a column.

I know, but I thought like he had some sway there. I thought maybe, like, I thought John Stewart would read it and be like “Oh, I have to come to Michigan.”

You think John Stewart reads The Michigan Daily?

I think he might. I think he might, definitely…I mean we all signed a petition, I think almost everyone in my grade signed a petition to get rid of him.

To get rid of Snyder?

Yeah there’s like, I think maybe like 100 or 200 didn’t sign…You can’t speak at a college if you’re like, ruining education.

But it’ll still be interesting to hear his point.

I think I might boo him.

That’s still interesting.

Maybe I’ll like throw things at him. I don’t know, I’m gonna do something.

You’ll probably be sitting far away — you can bring like a slingshot.

Oh, that’s probably a good idea. I should bring like a NERF gun. I’ll think of something creative to get at him.

Do you like Jenny from the block better? Jenny Granholm? The old governor…you’ve never heard her called Jenny from the block?

No, no, I did not. That’s really funny. Is she from like the Bronx?

No, I don’t think so.

That’s really funny, I’ve never heard that before. I’m like, what are you — I was like J-Lo is going to come here?

J-Lo is kind of past her time.

Yeah, she’s overrated.

She came out with a song recently and everyone was like “Who are you?”

It was the worst. It was the worst! I listened to it, and I was like “Oh, J-Lo and Lil’ Wayne. This is going to be good.” No. Like do not even listen to it on iTunes, like it’s not worth it.

Do you have a shout out to your readers? Say hi to Mom and Dad?

Hi Mom and Dad in Connecticut. I guess I’ll be seeing you, graduation. I’ll probably be unemployed so you’re going to have to support me. That’ll be fun for them. Not.

— Elana is an LSA senior.